Wilderness
by Dentelle-noir
Summary: AU 3x4,1x2, 5x13. Stuck on a week long Wilderness vacation, Quatre, the loser, finds himself knee deep in trouble because of a tall and gorgeous forest ranger.
1. Prolouge

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

Summary: AU. 3x4. Stuck on a Wilderness vacation, Father 'toughening him up', a deadly coincidence brings a forest ranger and the trouble following him, into their group. Quatre will have to prove to everyone just what the nancy-boy can do.

**Prologue**

Breath coming in pants, Trowa Barton sprinted as fast as his burning legs could take him through the lush, deep foliage.

He was just thankful he had come across a deer trail since it was smooth enough that he could get some distance between himself and the three men chasing him.

Knowing he couldn't stay on the trail for too long, lest they catch onto his location, he ducked into the forest cover, that added to the almost black night and shadowed foliage he was invisible. Except for his climbing rings, clanging noisily against each other like a gypsy scarf.

Shit.

They had been tucked well under his shirt, but the last vault over a tree trunk dislodged them and now it was a practical symphony at his side. Why not just out and scream "Here I am, come and kill me!" And they really would. The people chasing him had no problems with killing someone and disposing of the body. They were paid handsomely for their brute skills, he was sure. He also was pretty sure he knew who was paying them, but he couldn't prove it.

Although they might keep him alive long enough to find out he'd never tell them where the rest of his group was.

Leaping over a fallen tree and ducking into the valley behind it, he crouched down. Grabbing his belt that was a practical jingle of his climbing equipment, he swung it up and tucked it into his tight, water-resistant sleeveless shirt designed to keep him warm with room to paddle. He had long ago lost his nylon jacket.

Double-checking that the foliage from the newly fallen tree covered him, Trowa took a second to catch his breath under the moonlit darkness that covered him in his forest. He may have only been a ranger there for the last two months, but he was already attached to the damnable patch of trees and dirt and all the friends he became closer with because of it. He was not about to let anything happen to it.

Thankfully, the forest itself had come up with the solution. Well, it and legislation that prevented endangered animal's habitats from being destroyed. And he had the answer secured to his pack, the cage nicely shrouded and the little winged beast sedated so the trip would be easier.

He just hopped to hell that the run hadn't woken it or he was done for.

He could hear hurried footsteps coming closer to his hiding spot. He pushed deeper into the tree, the dead and dying leaves thankfully not disintegrating on contact, and providing him with a darkness that even the moonlight couldn't penetrate, let alone the gazes of the three following him. He was too exhausted to outrun them, he knew, and he was crossing his fingers for a little luck.

The steps slowed just in front of the tree, but at its furthest end. Trowa was confident that he was hidden. He knew the forest as well as any animal that had been living in her for their entire life.

"Fuck. Where'd that little ranger boy go!" One of the pursuers screamed. Obviously, it was Mueller or Alex, because Nichol wasn't stupid enough to just out and broadcast their position as loudly as that. Trowa had been able to get in and out of the caves right under Alex and Mueller's noses, but Nichol was better than that. He had known something was up.

"Where is he, Alex?" Another voice asked, joining the first in standing at the foot of the tree. Trowa began to sweat.

"FUCK!" Alex shouted again, frustrated, and decided to boot the fallen tress beside him, just to destroy something.

His boot impacted and sent the entire tree trembling in his wake, the top of the tree actually swiveled, knocking over the boulders and everything else that was under it with a grunt of pain.

From in the deep blackness of the tree came an ear shattering hysteric screech echoing a frantic scream throughout the forest. Alex smirked.

Shit.


	2. Father and Son

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

Summary: AU. 3x4. Stuck on a Wilderness vacation, Father 'toughening him up', a deadly coincidence brings a forest ranger and the trouble following him, into their group. Quatre will have to prove to everyone just what the nancy-boy can do.

**Chapter 1: Father and Son**

Omar Winner was a large, strong man of resilient, intimidating qualities, all of which he prided himself in. It was through his sweat, blood, strength, and determination he had come so far up in the world. He owned a multi-million dollar home, estates in many countries, a yacht, and a myriad of servants in each place. He demanded perfection from his business and his household.

Which is what brought him to where he was: Strolling down a hall in his home he didn't often go in. It was the one hall that led to the room of his only son, Quatre. But, in truth he might as well of had another daughter for all the masculinity that boy had.

He was a good-looking boy of 18 that woke the house with his screaming because a spider landed on his bed. A spider! Women screamed; men killed the eight-legged things-- Men were not afraid of spiders. Men could fix things; Quatre couldn't use a hammer if his life depended on it. Men were strong; Quatre could barely lift his own weight. Men could be impolite, think only of sex, and have arm wrestles. Quatre could not. Therefore, Quatre was not a man.

Not yet, anyway.

Military school had been an option to fix the dilemma, but the problem was that Omar needed Quatre to run the family company, and he couldn't afford a kid who could only take orders. Bad for business.

But hell, his kid got bullied by fat kids, played the violin, painted, and redecorated his room at least twice a year.

He needed to toughen the boy up, and in his hand was a way to do that, while still letting him make some business.

Truthfully, he didn't have the time, or patience, to actually toughen the boy up himself. But he had the money to pay others to do it. And this little excursion would score him major points with the Chang Corporation, which he badly needed. Winner Co. was only one of three or four companies vying to supply the Chang Corporation with the resources it needed to begin a new telecommunications system. And if Winner Co. could land this, it would make them millions!

But, Winner Co. needed a bit of an extra spotlight; they were just as good as the others, just the others seemed very good at shmmoozing.

And here in lay his brilliant plan.

The CEO was a big family man, no cell phone on vacations and everything, the psycho. This year, just he and his son were going on a two-week wilderness vacation. Whitewater rafting, rock climbing, hiking, the whole spiel, hell, they even needed to ride horses to the first stop.

So, Omar decided that if he just "happened" to show up and make friends, then Winner Co. would gain a little favor.

And at the same time he had to get his whinny little kid to grow up and be a man.

What would be better than two weeks toughing it out? And it was fully supervised, so he didn't need to actually spend time with the boy. He demanded perfection from his family, and so when people he couldn't dispose of disappointed him, he simply ignored them. But he couldn't ignore family with the Chang Corp such a family business.

Finally reaching the open door, leading into the yellow-this-month room, he found Quatre, white shirt looking disgustingly pink against the "red" bedspread, splayed comfortable reading some thick book and swaying his feet.

Licking his finger to turn the next page, Quatre could feel eyes on his back.

Just when his book was getting good too! He couldn't help but want to finish. Olivia just slapped Seth and now they had to go back to the party covered in mud! What was Mallory going to think!

But too polite to just ignore the presence and continue on, he rolled and propped himself up, looking at his door.

Shock didn't even being to describe the surprise of seeing none other than his father blocking the door with his width. He had never visited him before...

Quatre started to worry a bit.

Omar strode into the room, and stood at the foot of Quatre's bed lifting a hand, then flicking a colorful glossy pamphlet onto the spread. "We're leaving on Monday." His father's always-serious base boomed through the room before he swiftly turned on his heels and again strode out the door. That man did love to stride.

Crawling across his squishy mattress over to the shining leaflet, Quatre picked it up and read the title out loud, "Wilderness Adventures: Riding, Hiking, Climbing and Rafting for the Outdoors Family."

Family? His father was taking him on a trip? His father noticed he was alive and actually CHOSE to spend time with his son?

Better check the weather, 'cause hell just froze over!


	3. Be a MAN, Damn it!

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

Summary: AU. 3x4. Stuck on a Wilderness vacation, Father 'toughening him up', a deadly coincidence brings a forest ranger and the trouble following him, into their group. Quatre will have to prove to everyone just what the nancy-boy can do.

**Chapter Two: Be a Man, damn it.**

His feet burned, his arms trembled, and sweat poured off Quatre's brow. It was hot, and when the wind blew it was cold! And it smelt all _woodsy_! His shoes were covered in mud and he was being eaten alive by mosquitoes, despite reeking of repellant and sunscreen! He was tried already...

And all he was doing was brining his luggage inside the lodge!

He was not going to survive two weeks of outdoors-y-ness-stuff! He wanted to go home before he even got there!

Then he took a look up at his father, looking rugged in jeans (it was a shock to the boy his father even owned any) and a T-shirt, and cowboy boots, well, he had to reconsider.

To say they had never seen eye to eye was an understatement. Heck, Quatre would've been overjoyed if they could even agree over the weather. Not that he tried to argue, but his father always looked at him as if everything about him disgusted and disappointed him. But yet, he had asked him to join him on his vacation.

If he was willing to go half way to bridge the gap between them by at least _trying_ to spend some time with his son, then the least Quatre could do was suck it up, and pretend he was enjoying it.

Dropping his suitcase down in the pile, he caught his breath and headed towards the conjugation of people, most looking very rustic and woodsy, the men all seeming burly and rugged and the woman looking friendly and robust. There were a few boys and girls his age, but they all looked like they belonged on the football squad or the other equally intimidating people in school that liked to beat him and his "drama brat" friends when he couldn't skip out. But, his father didn't know about that yet. He'd tell him... in a couple years when he would "look back and smile".

Yeah, right.

SMILING!

There was only one boy in the crown that wasn't broader than a barn, and that was an oriental boy with shining raven hair tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Quatre only glimpsed him, but he seemed very fair skinned and, dare he think it, handsome. He wore a thick fraying sweater that was some cross between gray and purple, as if it was blue at one time and washed with a red sock sometime along it's obviously long life. It had some logo on it at one time, but it was long since gone, suiting the stretched collar and palm covering cuffs. It seemed incredibly comfortable and looked very good on the youth.

Quatre again fixed his T-shirt the most evil glare he could. It was polyester, since the brochure made the water-retaining cotton sound incredibly evil, non small, since small was not a manly size, and non colorful, since black was the color men wore, you see. Why was he wearing clothes that hung off him, made his look sickly pale and caught in branches? Because his father picked it out, and he didn't want to upset the man by arguing any more than he had. He was insanely jealous of the other boy's comfort.

An older man wearing a T-shirt that seemed to fit him, Quatre thought bitterly, with the "Wilderness Adventures" logo splayed across the front called the group to order. He introduced himself as their "Training guide" since their actual guide, whom they would meet in three days, was down at the lodge attending to important matters. And Otto, that was his name, would be supervising their safety and warm up training as well as "setting them on the track to Fun for the Whole Family!" Quatre swore he spoke in capitals!

Trying to find his father to begin said family fun, he found him already engaged in business talk with the older Chinese man whom he had bee lined for when they arrived. He was a potential business partner for his father... and from the looks of the group was more than likely the father of the Chinese boy he had spied earlier. Maybe then the boy knew exactly what it felt like to be ignored by his father.

Then the boy walked over, nodded to Quatre father and just stood waiting, not saying a word. Within seconds, the Chinese man gave a quick dismissal and began speaking with the boy amicably. Perhaps he didn't know after all.

Quatre began to really want to go home now.

Training began at the greeting house; that was what they called the large lodge-type place they had parked in. And they stayed in nice indoor plumed, warm bed, and wooden floored bunkhouses. And they didn't have to share! It was just Quatre and his father in his. That was some exciting company. Really.

And then there was the actual training.

Reflecting back positively, Quatre had to say that training was very... educational.

The first day after a little safety talk, they made him climb up a wall filled with brightly colored rocks and holds. His belayer, the dude holding the rope that kept him from falling on his ass, kept going with his well rehearsed "You can do it".

That's when he learned his first lesson: No. He couldn't.

The second day they did some canoeing to get them ready for paddling the rapids they would be facing for most of the trip. Second lesson: The water was really, really cold. And the bottom was slimy. He got to wear a kid sized life jacket after that. Colored pink. His father was thrilled. Really.

The next day seemed much better, his father had hardly spoken to him, but they were going on a nice nature hike. He really did find it soothing. Across the road he saw a cute little squirrel, eyes wide and Disney like, little tail twitching adorably as he watched Quatre from the side of the trail. Then he learned: Foxes ate squirrels.

The eleven more to go day (he had began to count backwards now) was turning out much, much better. They had "graduated" training and were on their way to the main lodge further down the canyon.

They were riding horseback, something Quatre had been doing since he was young enough to walk. So for once since this whole hell vacation began, he didn't feel like the laughing stock of the entire group. He was one of the very few of the twelve that weren't lagging painfully behind, bouncing all over hells half acres and cursing to the horses. People were actually watching how HE did something! Take that Dad!

Now all he needed with his luck was some rabid bunny rabbit to run out in front of horse, spook it and send him over the ledge and down into the gorge.

But they made it to the halfway point, the lunch stop, and nothing had happened yet. He was even lucky enough for Otto, their guide, to demonstrate how to unsaddle the horses with his horse so he didn't have to do it himself.

A shiny red jeep pulled into the clearing from a road and out came a man wearing a similar 'Wilderness adventures' T-shirt and filled plates with fried chicken and gave everyone a nice cool bottle of water.

Quatre looked up to the heavens and saw nothing but blue skies and puffy white clouds sliding over the expanse from the cool comfortable breeze. This was going to be a good day. No, it was going to be a great day just to make up for the hell the last three days had been for him. Nothing was going to spoil it.

As he thought that, face soaking up the sunshine with a smile, he noticed his father walking towards him, plate in hand, then took the spot on the log next to him.

Add one more happy mark, his father was finally paying attention to him!

Omar waited after he plopped down beside his son, and he ate silently. The boy was still an impossible let down after three days. He couldn't get further than a foot on the climbing wall, he had fallen in the lake, he lost all his bait under suspicious circumstances, and then bawled for the last half of the nature hike. He needed to make his intensions clear.

"Quatre," he started, "do you know why I brought you along with me on this trip?"

Quatre bit his lip nervously, and readied himself. Time to breach the gap between father and son. It was just coincidence he met a potential business partner there. He was just about to meet him halfway, his mouth about to formulate the words, when his father beat him to it.

"I brought you here to toughen you up. You're a man, damn it. It's time you started acting like one. No son of mine is going to be a cry baby momma's boy." Omar said strongly.

Good day gone.

"You need to be a real man! Look at Wufei, Chang's boy," at that he pointed to the Chinese boy who was currently coming down from the huge tree he had just climbed to get a view, still wearing the comfortable sweater, but showing navy blue underneath. "He won the cannoning race, scouted the hike, and was the first to get to the top of the wall in less than two minutes. Look at him. He's a man. A real man. That is what you should be like."

Quatre couldn't even answer, his lips too busy surprising sobs to open.

Omar looked at the blonde boy he had fathered and felt anger rising. The wuss looked ready to cry. What was he expecting, some sort of "I love you for who you are, son." heartfelt moment? He ground his teeth to stop himself from screaming loud enough the entire group heard, he'd already felt enough of an idiot on this trip due to his slip shot son. "You should try to be friends with Wufei, maybe you'll learn something." He slid out cruelly, then abruptly stood, emptying his barely touched chicken into the waste basket. Two more starving kids in Africa bit the dust.

Quatre tried to stop his lip from trembling, he was right. He was a crybaby momma's boy, even though he never met his mother. It didn't matter. Even if he had met her, it wouldn't matter. She'd probably be disappointed in him too!

Unable to hold back the tears and trying to conserve a little bit of his pride so his father wasn't even more disappointed, he quickly made his way into the dense tree cover.

Letting the tears flow, but not daring a sob, he followed the trail taken by many tourists before. He found himself on a rounded boulder overlooking a deep colorful valley, the trees swaying and birds flying gracefully over.

Flopping down on the rock, he tried to distract himself with the view. But that didn't work, all he could hear was his father resounding through his head telling him how much of a disappointing failure of a son he was. Why didn't he just say he wished he had never been born and be done with it. Better yet, why didn't he just disown his little wretch of a child! His knees curled over his stomach like they always did when he was hurting and his arms wrapped around them, holding them close and cradling his head between them, letting his tears wet his jeans and thighs muffle his sobs.

Thankfully they were allowed a long lunch break and Quatre was able to pull himself together by the time they were getting ready to leave.

But he just wanted to go home.


	4. Finally somthing I'm good at! Or not

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

Summary: AU. 3x4. Stuck on a Wilderness vacation, Father 'toughening him up', a deadly coincidence brings a forest ranger and the trouble following him, into their group. Quatre will have to prove to everyone just what the nancy-boy can do.

**Chapter Three: Finally Something I'm Good at. Or not.**

Quatre began to pat the sturdy mare he'd ridden to the current spot. That was the only thing he had been able to do right. Hell, he already had enough problems since there was nothing he was good at, except maybe the violin, but that was it. The only reason the drama crowd at school hung out with him was because they felt sorry for him. He had no real friends. He couldn't seem to ever do anything right, everything always just ricocheted back in his face.

Beside his sturdy brown mare stood a tall, strong majestic black mare. Just looking at her, though, Quatre had to stifle a laugh.

That was the mare Wufei was riding ... well, no, that was the mare Wufei was bouncing all over on. He was flying off the mare's back during the way down the trail. In all his dignified airs, Wufei was practically a rag doll on top if that horse. The poor boy probably could've been very dignified if he could ride even half-properly.

Speak of the Devil.

From around the massive flanks of the black horse came Wufei, his onyx eyes flashing at the mare, as if trying to intimidate the horse that weighted about two hundred more pounds than he. The boy was dwarfed in the shadow the horse cast, yet aiming his best death glare at the beast. If looks could kill, that horse would be glue.

Quatre licked his lips nervously. His father had said he wanted him to make friends with the boy. He desperately wanted his father to be happy. But strangers, especially those who could easily kick his ass just for looking at them wrong, made him rightfully nervous.

"You should try to post," Quatre said quietly, his voice more timid than he had wanted, and he wondered if Wufei even heard him. He debated trying again, but what if he had heard him and was just ignoring him?

"What is 'post'?" The voice was cold, unamused, but with a hint of sincerity and anger, probably towards the horse, "I noticed even with your puny stature the beast wasn't tossing you around."

"Hold on to the horse with your knees, and push up when the horse does. It just means getting into the rhythm of the horse and moving with it, instead of against it. Horses aren't slaves; they're partners." Quatre took the chance and raised his aqua eyes from under his blonde curtain and risked a glance at Wufei.

He was calculating the horse, circling it with his hand poised at his chin.

With one fluid motion he took the saddle from the nearby post and flopped it onto the mare's back. The saddle blanket puffed out from the sudden force and slightly surprised her, but not enough that she was scared. Watching the beast again, he crouched and fastened the straps under her securely and jumped back as if waiting for her to attack. But, Quatre couldn't help but think that she really didn't even notice all the efforts Wufei was putting into conquering her.

Again with the agility of a fighter, Wufei gripped the saddle horn and propped himself up, seating himself atop the beast, feet secured in the stirrups and sitting proudly. To help, Quatre figured he ought to undo the reigns for him.

Before anything else could be said, the trail guide came over to the horses with the entire group following close behind and again made sure to get Quatre's saddle on and secure.

Quatre realized with horror that the guide centered him out, thinking he couldn't do it; not that he was lucky.

They all though he couldn't handle himself.

Set in the slow pace for the mountains and the wilderness all around the riders, one would think the ride would be a pleasant, respectful, enjoyable experience.

It wasn't.

Well, perhaps some people were enjoying it, but Wufei was not. Give him a rock wall, he could climb it, give him a Class IV rapid, he'd laugh, give him a hike, no problem, but this was hell

Bounce. Thud. Bounce. Thud.

The stupid horse was still tossing him around like salad and Wufei wouldn't stand for the indignity of it all.

Seeing the blonde Winner kid at the front, more melancholy that earlier but riding expertly, he figured it wouldn't hurt to try what he said, right? He called it posting.

So sucking up his pride, which took a lot of breath, Wufei squeezed the abused inner leg muscles and began to push himself with the beast. With the first few seconds, he would rather have been jostled by the animal. Posting hurt like hell!

But, he would never admit pain, or take the easy way. So, again he worked up the rhythm and tried. He had to give the blonde credit because, obviously, he could take the damn torture like nothing!

The main lodge was a fairly large building, seated atop a picturesque hill overlooking green as far as the eye could see, punctured by the surging river known for its length, various rapids and twisting spin-off rivers spanning across the entire valley and beyond. It looked welcoming and open, the large porch framing the entire front, and the spanning roof sinking downwards and far over to shade the large open patios. Around it were clusters of guesthouses, three of four together circling a shared yard.

The horses moseyed on the well worn trail coming up on the side of the lodge and revealing the back as a massive corral. Horses of all types inhabited the wooden stalls and a few more men, looking like they worked there, came out from the back door to wave. One continued past the porch and strode out to the group, long silver white hair flying dashingly behind his broad-shouldered, regal build.

Otto dismounted quickly and walked with his horse to the man, nodding and conversing as their horses were brought towards the large waiting section. Seconds later, everyone had climbed off the back of their horse, and Otto and the silver haired man strolled over.

"Group, this is Milliardo. He's your guide." Otto patted his back companionably, but Milliardo glared at the offending hand.

Otto shrunk back, shooting him a nervous apology and then turning to address the group. "Well, it was great training you. You're going to love your trip. Now, I leave Milly here to set you on the track to fun for the whole family!" With that and a tip of his hat, the group said farewell, and Otto set into the lodge. Quatre hadn't failed to notice the lack of capitals this time around and wondered if it had to do with the new trainer or his joy at having the group, and Quatre, off his hands.

Milly turned to the group; winning smile in place, "Good-" then a mare huffed and kicked at the ground loudly, silencing his words. "Welco-" another horse nickered, stamping and showing its impatience at being left there doing nothing when the comfy stalls were just ahead.

"Well, set up your horses and meet in the mess hall, right through those doors," Milly said over a few noises, but mostly understandable with his voice strained as it was. Then, smiling brightly, he sauntered casually in and stirred up conversation with a few of the women, simpering as they were.

Quatre turned to the task at hand, unstrapping his mare and giving her a nice brush down. After all, she really did deserve it.

It was easy to untie the straps, considering how tall she was and how less-than-tall he was. But, reaching over and up to grab that saddle was going to be a challenge. Though, he could handle it. Even if no one seemed to think he could, he could. He had ridden for a while now; he could take care of his own saddle. Hell, they weren't that heavy!

Grabbing onto the horn and giving the first tug, he looked over and spotted a footstool sitting unused in the corner. Simple answers for simple problems. He grabbed the wooden stool and set it beside his mare.

That extra step up put him at the perfect angle to get a good hold of the horn and the other side. He gave it a lift, tilting the thing around mid turn. Then he heard a splinter and a crack. The barn was turning in front of his eyes and he was falling backwards, the saddle still in hand.

Like a sack of flour, he hit the dirt, stars spinning and dust covering him, the saddle straddling over his chest. A light chuckle came from beside -- No on top -- No behind-- The world was spinning. Then, he saw three faces, all looking a lot like Wufei smirking, towering over him.

The world came back into one picture and he saw it was only one Wufei and one broken footstool lying cracked in pieces at his feet. He couldn't do anything right. Nothing at all. He finally thought he could do something properly and live up to his father's expectations, and look where it got him: laying on the ground, covered in dirt, a saddle splayed over his torso. Just peachy. Now Wufei was going to laugh at him too, and never even speak to him again. Not that he had said much to begin with, he had to note.

All he wanted to do was just crawl under the saddle and die, perhaps then his father could find a real son to fill his place.

Wufei bent down over the fallen blonde, and gripped the horn. One deft lift and up it came, revealing the entirety of the blonde. He swung the leather contraption over to the post and heaved it down with the rest.

Then he did something that surprised the hell out of Quatre. He was expecting a cruel laugh definitely, or some snide comment. He feared Wufei would just give him a good kick in the ribs when he was already down, no one was around to see him, anyway. Who would believe the blonde?

But, he did something completely different. He outstretched his hand with a sincere smile and gave him a hand up. He even tried to brush off the worst of the dirt covering the black manly shirt.

Ooookay, Quatre had now entered "The Twilight Zone".

"Thanks, Wufei." Quatre said shakily, still not exactly sure what was going on.

Wufei just shook his head and raised his brows skeptically, "I saw what happened. You have the worst luck this week it seems. It was no problem. If you need some help, just ask. No one is good at everything. You're the expert in the riding and stuff, that posting shit worked. I happen to be good at these sorts of things." Wufei gestured to the outdoor around him as he tied up his horse, Quatre doing the same. They began into the mess hall where they were supposed to meet with their guide together, Wufei still actually speaking to him. "Why are you here anyway? You don't seem to be enjoying yourself."

"My dad. We never do things together, ever, and when he said we were going I figured he was ... you know ... Trying. It didn't sound that bad in the brochure, so I jumped at the chance to spend some time with him. Guess that was silly of me. Now, I'm the laughing stock of the group." Okay, since when had he become so open about his feelings and personal life with strangers? He must've really needed to get that off his chest because he just opened his mouth and boom, there it was flying out. Now, Wufei was going to look at him like he was an idiot, and never speak to him again. He was a manly man, his father said; manly men didn't talk about feelings!

Wufei smiled slightly, "I know what you mean. My father and I went through that a few years ago, the whole 'I have to work' or the 'I'd rather be with my friends' stage. It got to the point that I had died my hair bright green, and he didn't notice for two weeks! That's when my mom sent the two of us on the first father-son vacation. I had a karate tournament in Chicago, and we went together, did the tourist thing, you know. It was really weird at first, but now we are on much better terms. Just let these things work themselves out and be open when he is finally ready. That's all you can do, I guess."

Quatre was speechless, just digesting Wufei's words. Then, he couldn't help the smile on is own face. Wufei had told him all that about himself, and then he had tried to give him advice. He did understand what was going on. He really understood!

Quatre opened the bunk house door first and walked in when the mental picture of Wufei with green hair hit him between the eyes. That flew in the face of all he thought Wufei was, but Quatre was rather excited to have the chance to reevaluate what he thought Wufei was.

"Thanks, Wufei."

"That's what friends are for, Winner." Wufei stood straight and walked in to the hall, congregating around the group asking Milly odd questions such as 'was he married'.

As Quatre took at seat away from the mound of simpering females, next to one of the older ladies in the group, Jane she had introduced herself as, Quatre began to gnaw over what Wufei had said. He called him a Friend.

Perhaps this vacation didn't suck that bad after all.


	5. Cold, Hard, Bitch

**Wilderness **

By **_Dentellenoir_**

Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Wing, or any of the characters in it. If I did, I wouldn't let that gorgeous Trowa out of my bedroom to be in the show. So be glad I don't.  
.  
Some of you may notice this is slightly a re-post. Note the difference of author. I won't go any further.

**Chapter Four: "**Cold, Hard, Bitch"

Hot, near scalding chlorinated water fell to the tile in the cabin shower stall around Quatre's pinked skin. They were going out on the trail tomorrow, rafting, and then staying overnight in tents until they hit the ranger station three days later, where they were to participate in climbing of rocks and hiking of hills followed by more tent living. "Sleeping under the stars" his ass! After the first twenty minutes in the shower, he decided to spend more, he wasn't sure when the next time he would be able to get hot water was!

And already, the conditions were less that adequate.

They had their things dropped off to the big cabin for about 18, the twelve of them fitting with plenty room to spare, then they were left to cook hot dogs and have merriment before they left. Quatre couldn't stand it.

His first hot dog was so cold he thought he bit into ice in the middle, then the second one he roasted caught on fire. He had to step it into the dirt and kick at it for a while before it stopped flaming.

And the worst part was, one of the girls had done the same damn thing a few minutes earlier and nobody paid one ounce of mind to it!

He did it, and all eyes in the group were rolling. Then watching him after that just waiting for him to slip up. Well, they shouldn't have to wait long, he figured he was certain to do something equally embarrassing as the last few days, considering his track record. Why did he even bother?

Then his father just glared at him as if he hopped the smoldering hot dog would catch him on fire and burn him to death so he wouldn't have to deal with him.

Where was a rock to crawl under and die when you needed one, Eh?

His father just pointed a look, then purposely moved his glare over to Wufei, leaning against a thick tree, sweater encased arms crossed over his chest moodily and eyes glaring. He knew what his father meant. Wufei = manly. You = loser. He got it, loud and clear.

That was when he had excused himself quietly to go shower before everyone else got there. He had gotten a look at the conditions before.

Four curtained off sections, three hanging curtains separating one from the other, only going up to Quatre's neck level; and he was short! It would just barley cover anything a lady would need covered! And he could see everything going on, and everyone could see him! At least not all of him, but he liked to bathe in privacy! At least the toilets were stalled.

While his eyes were pinched together to stop rouge shampoo suds from attacking, he heard the door open and someone walk in.

But once the irritating suds were washed under the hot spray, Quatre was able to just peek to see who it was.

Wufei stood by the mirror, shoes off and working on his socks. He stood and pulled the large, worn sweater up and over his head. Quatre's jaw dropped.

Wufei's white pants, hidden previously by the edge of the sweater were purposely rolled at the waist to hang low on his hips, just below his bellybutton, showing his shapely sides. And a good look he did get, because his shirt underneath stopped short enough to allow not a peek, but a freaking soft porn-style showing, and was incredibly fitting to the boys lean torso. The damn thing was clinging all over and showing off Wufei's thin athletic build. Well, what he could see from his back anyway. Wufei wasn't facing him.

He felt like a heel, just kinda starring at him. He didn't want to go out with him or anything, and we wasn't really attracted to him as anything more than a friend, but damn. He had to admit. He was hot.

Wait... was manly supposed to equal hot?

Wufei turned, looking straight at Quatre, but Quatre wasn't looking at his face. He was starring at the bright yellow letters scrawled across the front of Wufei's shirt, one word on top to the other, glaring at him to ignore their warning:

"Cold, Hard, Bitch."

Quatre blinked to clear his face, then he looked again. Yeah, that was still the words across Wufei's chest. Was that manly? Quatre had to admit he knew little about manliness, but that was a definite 'no' if he ever saw one.

"I didn't think my shirt would bother you so much." Wufei said coldly, catching Quatre's eyes and glaring for all he was worth. "I just figured I'd get a shower in before the group started to descend en masse." Wufei finished, still watching Quatre almost angrily.

That's when Quatre realized what Wufei had said. The shirt bothering him. "No, no, no. Wufei. The shirt is cool. I like it. I just wasn't expecting it, that's all. Sorry for starring like that, that was horribly rude of me, I'm sorry."

Wufei stepped into the shower at the far end, the same as Quatre had, opting for at least two real walls. So there they were on opposite sides of the bathroom, only the sound of water between them.

Once in, Wufei stripped down, throwing his clothes to the pile he had by the mirror. "It suits me, though, doesn't it." Wufei said, turning the taps and pulling loose his hair tie, the black strands falling in his face and immediately soaking up the liquid and plastering to his slim face.

Turning from the rather nice view his friend was giving him, he just chuckled. It really was suiting. Although the "cold" part was debatable. So far, Wufei was the only one who even tried to talk to him since the first climbing incident, so as far as he was concerned, Wufei was as warm and fuzzy as a caterpiller.

"I promised I'd wear it here. Not willingly, though. My boyfriend got it for me before I left and made me promise I'd wear it. So I did." Wufei continued as he lathered shampoo through his hair.

"I didn't think anyone could make you, of all people, promise something you didn't want to do." Quatre replied, rinsing once more.

Wufei smiled genuinely at Quatre, eyes twinkling. "He's very, persuasive." He said, a little waggle of his eyebrows to demonstrate just what kind of persuasion it took for the promise. "And I am a man of my word."

Quatre chuckled and tried not to imagine just what type of persuasion his boyfriend... Whoa! boyfriend., not girlfriend.

Boy.

Wufei was gay!

That certainly did NOT equal manly!!

Perhaps that was why they got along so well... Wufei was the same as Quatre in a lot of ways then.

Turning off the shower, Quatre grabbed his towel and began to dry himself in the stall. He didn't want to risk getting in some weird situation with him naked in front of the entire group. And hell, the way things were going for him, it was better to play it really safe than sorry.

Scampering out, Quatre grabbed his nightclothes and made it to a bathroom stall and locked the door. Pulling on pants immediately (those were the most important to have in bad luck situations) he then began to dry off his hair and the rest of himself casually. The other shower turned off soon after.

As Quatre brushed his teeth in the mirror, Wufei walked out, towel around his waist and hair dripping and did the same thing Quatre had: Dress in the stalls.

"Quatre?" Wufei's voice lifted from over the stall. "Don't go spreading that around or anything, Okay. I'm not in the closet or anything, my family and friends know about my preferences, but the whole world and their dog doesn't need to know. People tend to prejudge, and I find the steryotype dishonorable and inapt. I figured you would understand."

Quatre smiled and spit out the toothpaste, "Am I that obvious?"

Wufei laughed out loud at that one, coming out of the stall with long gray workout pants and an equally gray T-shirt. "Quat, you're more flaming than Maxwell. And believe me, that's saying something."

"My dad hasn't figured it out yet." Quatre said, pinching Wufei's shirt from under the stall door just to throw it over at him.

Before Wufei could retort, the sounds of people came wafting in to the previously silent cabin, and within minutes they were ransacked by women vying for first place in the showers.

Fresh and as pleasant as he could possibly muster at 7 O'clock in the morning, the group proceeded into the lodge, almost shimmering from the early sunlight behind its rustic walls. After being laden down with equipment and a rousing speech on paddle safety, they were told to make their way for breakfast then to meet out front.

Not too bad. Quatre was at least still happy because of Wufei's friendship. At least he wasn't completely alone here. The rest of the group expected little, save amusement, from him, but he would prove them all wrong!

Hopefully.

Walking with the group, he paused to see what all the commotion was in the hallway. One woman gasped, then turned and the rest followed like a shadow to the first, clearing past a small wide-open office door. Curiosity was known to kill the cat, but he had to at least grab a little peek.

There in the office was one madly embarrassed blushing man; a tall aristocratic looking man with roan hair cut short and swept back off his face save a few stray whips. But what was embarrassing was not the man; he was looking frozen shocked in a rather suggestive position on top and between the open legs of one professionally dressed, yet dazed looking woman, hair twisted into duel buns.

Quatre took it all in for only seconds before dashing off with the rest of the gawkers and following silently to their lesson on paddling.

Quatre stood watching the buzzards descend onto the pile of paddles. They had already been told that a proper paddle had to fit under your chin in height. No one, except maybe Wufei, was even near his height, so he wasn't worried about getting one right away. Once the dust cleared a bit, he struggled into the pile of incredibly long and incredibly short paddles left, he grabbed a nice short one and tried it. Perfect.

Now they were to climb in to what the adventure people had deemed a raft.

It was an incredibly paper looking balloon sided so-called boat.

He didn't think it would hold any more than two people up with the ballast, let alone the eight it was supposed to!

Sure there was sitting room for eight, and they had room for the supplies they had to bring, but seeing more and more be pilled in, he was sure some law of physics was crying at the fact it hadn't sunk yet.

But finally he decided to comply with the exhausted looks of the group, realizing he was the last on land, save Milly, who was tying the last of the medical supplies to the sweep boat. (That was a two-person canoe that followed behind the two big rafts with safety stuff and extra supplies in case anything unfortunate happened. Knowing his own luck, he had made sure to remember what they called the boat.)

Being the last, he took the last available inch in his group's boat, thankfully that was the one spot he would've chose if he could've. Right at the back (The front was were all the "action" was most felt) with Milly behind him in the middle steering the raft, a stack of supplies in front he could tuck his feet beneath and Wufei on the opposite side. Trying to catch a reassuring smile from his friend, he couldn't, since Fei seemed too engrossed in the scenery and his own thoughts.

Oh well, he was going to try his best to enjoy this. It was a new experience and it wouldn't be that bad. It really wouldn't. He continued his mantra trying to brighten his spirits.

Well, he had to conclude that the raft wasn't as paper as it looked. The bottom was some sort of plasticy felt that sunk in as he walked, but didn't twist or anything. The sides were supposedly under pressurized inflation to make them hard and strong enough to stand on. Heck, Milly was sitting on the back of the boat steering. They had little benches to sit on and tuck their feet under; they were supposed to help keep you in the boat over tough rapids. Quatre liked the heavy wet-bags better; they kept his feet warmer than open benches, and protected his shoes from the hungry river.

With a push from the other guide, there was two in each boat, one steering at the back and one strokemaster at the front who kept them all in time with the paddling, they were off and into the cold water floating harmlessly and calmly.

Quatre opened his tight-shut eyes and let out his painful breath. He was almost expecting to be immediately swept away when the boat was off the dirt. But that was silly of him. He was calmer now, noticing that a few people were just settling in and getting ready. Dipping his paddle blade into the water like everyone else, he heard Milly shout the "forward Paddle" command they were taught and they started. Dip in and pull. Not too difficult.

He was insanely glad they had better life jackets at the main lodge. He needent wear the god awful pink one, just a standard orange and red vest with specially designed thinner straps to allow more arm room for paddling. Added with the beautiful yellow helmet, he was stylin'...

Well, he looked like everyone else anyway, and that was all he wanted.

With a few more strokes, the boat was into the current, the water pushing the raft faster and faster down the run, their paddles only light and keeping them straight while the vacationers got used to the pull of the water.

They had better get used to it, because they had the entire vacation of it. Eleven more days. The river was actually one of the longest in the country. They would do rafting for most of the day, then camp out at night or do special activities in the afternoons or morning all along the way.

The schedule was different, depending on how far they got, but there was cave exploring, yip, wall climbing, double yip, outdoor cooking lessons, hoo whoo, outdoor games when they were at the half way lodge (they also got to sleep in real beds that night!!) not to mention the nature hike that Quatre was SOOOO looking forward to, he still was traumatized by the squirrel incident, and all along the way the oh so joyful necessities of ghost stories, smores, foraging and fishing. Yeah!! Foraging! Note the immense sarcasm.

And the very best part was they were actually only near enough civilization 5 out of the 11 days that if anything really bad happened they could get a jeep there in less than an hour.

For the most part, all you could do it was stay in for the ride to the next available spot, or in extreme, emergencies, like mauled by a bear and bleeding to death in the next two seconds, they could get a helicopter there.

If you could make it to a clearing in time.

This was WAY more fun than a beach or cruise. Really. He couldn't wait to be in that first window.

But they made it to lunch in one piece. They fought rapids, Quatre was soaked to the bones and he lost his paddle twice. Thankfully Milly grabbed it before it was completely gone and was able to give it back.

The boat was pulled up to another clearing, a "Take-out" as they called them, and they pulled the raft into the dirt.

Waiting was a shinny red jeep bearing the Wilderness Adventures logo on the side and it had no doors.

In the back was a nice hot-looking vat that reeked of baked beans, but for once Quatre was just too damn hungry to care what it was and dug in as heartily as everyone else. Except maybe Wufei, he dug in all right, but after a couple greedy mouthfuls he calmed down. He looked kind of upset, maybe. He had said he was used to this sort of thing, doing this stuff before, he must've been used to the work and all that.

Finishing his, Quatre decided to walk over and chat, when Milly started hollering. People were looking at him as if he were nuts when he told them to get back in the boat so soon, even the guides were perplexed. They had been twenty minutes, IF that!

"Look group. The clouds are not looking good right now. " Milly explained while standing in the middle of the group.

"You really don't want to be paddling in the rain, especially how it's going to be with our Spring weather. You'll all thank me when we make it to the camp point dry if we leave now." And with that, he began to make sure everything was still set up as the guides gulped the last of their food down.

Now he was immensely happy he hadn't taken his time to eat.

The rain did come, but as Milly had said, they were immensely thankful. Because when it did decide to unleash the torrent down on them, they had gotten their tent/tarp up.

It was a big, angled white tarp they slung up between trees that spanned almost three quarters of the second clearing they had stayed in.

Under it, everyone laid out their sleeping bags and gulped down their diner, curtsy of the handy dandy jeep that magically showed up again.

But Quatre was no fool, he knew it was only so long before the lack of civilization thing would come into play and there would be no more jeeps bringing meals.

He figured they were just softening up the people with the meals on wheels. After the day after tomorrow there were a lot of afternoon fishing booked, and he knew it was for their supper.

Completely exhausted from the day's events as were a lot of people, he was out like a light the second he was wrapped in the warm down filled bag.

**Author's notes**:

Here we have the next chapter that starts to get the action going. And we get a good look at Wufei. I think this and the last chapter gave you a really good hold on his character in all this.

I realize all my chapters are actually short, they seem longer when they are all together. But as this gets further in they elongate. I'm going to try to post quicker to compensate.

And I'll tell you...

**TROWA IS ON HIS WAY, ALRIGHT!!!! GET OFF MY BACK!**

When you see the scenario, the result of him coming in and figure out the timing of the trip, you'll understand why I had to postpone it so long.

THANK YOU MY REVEIWER'S!!!!

And thank you, my wonderful beta, **Prevasium!**


	6. Cold Morning

**Wilderness**

_**By Dentelle noir**_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**Chapter Five: Cold Morning**

Sun shining brightly, at six AM, blinded Quatre as he woke with a start. Something was moving around him. Having woken up a few times before in the night by hoots or other rustling forest sounds, Quatre was more surprised by the intense light then the fact that is was someone rather than something moving about.

Raising his head up, he was greeted with a warm smile from Jane, one of the older women on the trip with an empty-nest syndrome. She was the one he had walked beside after the squirrel incident and she kept telling him it would be all right. God bless Jane.

Anyway, she was smiling down through his cocoon of sleeping bag. "Morning Sunshine! Up and At 'EM! It's a new beautiful day!" She sung. One bullet. That's all it would take...

Btu then he woke fully. He was normally a morning person too after all and he could understand. It really was a beautiful morning. So once he was up and dressed in regular clothes, he too was spreading his cheer... albeit quieter and less abrasively. Okay! He was sitting drinking tea, but he was Smiling at least!

Soon, they were fed, handy dandy bribery jeep again, and they were strapped into life jackets and helmets, ready to tackle the harder rapids.

Quatre couldn't help but get swept up in all the enthusiasm. Since in all the day yesterday, nothing horrible had happened. Nothing. Someone had fallen out of the raft, not him, and they were fine, brought back in seconds later laughing. What did he have to fear? He knew he wasn't good at paddling and all that, many others were much better, but he hadn't done anything hopeless yet. So he took this as an omen that whatever god eh had upset that brought the four days previously on him was happy now, and letting him live. He could deal with that.

Hair swooshing behind him and face numb from splashing frozen water Quatre still felt exhilarated. Every vein in his body pumped adrenaline through his system and each breath was a freezing reminder that they were out on the dangerous river, nothing between them and the pulsing current except there paddles and the rubber raft.

The run turned, Milly commanding a "left paddle" and they followed, the group working as in sync as they could muster.

Someone's paddle floated by Quatre and he smirked as Milly plucked it out of the water and handed it back to some blushing girl near the front.

They seemed to think the guide was all that and a bag of chips or something. Sure, the man was good looking, and when he spoke he seemed to always have the attention of everyone in site, animals included. But really. He was just a pretty boy.

A pretty boy who was kick-ass at navigating rapids, anyway.

Quatre had to admit: it was damn fun. He never thought he would be an outdoorsy sport-liking guy. Hell he hated most sports, but he was enjoying himself. He was even getting the hang of the paddling.

Behind Quatre's head, Milly's commanding voice boomed over the boat. They were going to pull into the clearing coming up. Quatre remembered with a bit of sickness, they were supposed to go fishing before lunch. Damn. Just when he was having fun.

It took a few times, but they got the boat in. Someone fell in the water on the way out and got completely soaked, and it wasn't him! Yeah! He just had to get out himself.

Behind him came Jerry, a 19 year old with a chip on his shoulder and was one of the loudest when laughing at Quatre's follies. Everything about the boy screamed Football Jock. Quatre was a dram brat. Oil and water, baby. So he couldn't tell why he was surprised when he felt a hard nudge across his shoulders pushing him down hard.

The wet rubber of the side of the boat squeaked as Quatre's form tumbled over. His legs flew up in the air in front of him and the frigid spring waters grabbed his body.

It was incredibly cold. The sheer temperature drop shocked his system, setting off panic signals through his limbs. The consuming waves gripped at him, tugging at his clothes and hair to low with it down the stream. Reacting with a yelp was the worst thing he had done. The ice water plunged into his mouth freezing his insides faster and taking that little air he had away with such force he was seeing stars. He'd been punched in the gut before, but this was a hell of a lot worse.

Suddenly he felt fingers wrap around his arm and yank hard and unrelenting, punching him up to the bright surface gasping for air and heaving cold water from his burning lungs. Sputtering and chocking back the only air he could grasp he felt himself being pulled like a rag doll by the strong hand.

"You Fucking Bastard!" Quatre had never heard such a harsh tone, and he wasn't even sure if it was Wufei's voice anymore, but it did trigger his image.

Once his foggy mind cleared a bit as he was still being dragged and he noticed just where he was. They were fifty feet away from the raft, it swaying in the current and beside it a suspiciously familiar life-jacket bobbed away, starting to follow the strong water towards the huge outcropping of rocks only a few feet form them now, the current blasting against the surface and breaking into a constant spray. Quatre paled knowing if he drifted that far in the seconds he had been under, he would've smashed up against those rocks in seconds if Wufei hadn't grabbed him just when he did.

Quatre again failed to get a grip on the bottom, still being hauled by his friend, Quatre couldn't figure out how Wufei was going at that sped, he was practically creating a current of his own, leaving Quatre stuck in the backwash and still sputtering to catch his breath. But he wouldn't dare ask him to slow down. One look at Wufei's snarl gave him chills he was hell bent to kill right now, and Quatre was just a little puppet hanging from his trailing arm.

Finally his feet caught a good hold on solid ground and he was able to stand a bit, but just as he could, he felt Wufei's tug drop. Quatre grabbed for the nearest tree and held, trying to keep his jelly limbs holding. Wufei glimpsed back for a nano second, seeing Quatre wasn't dead and turned, continuing in his line that he never strayed from.

Jerry didn't even have time to blink before Wufei was in his space and landing a vicious punch across his face, sending the boy twice his thickness to the ground in a single blow. But that was not enough for him.

Fei followed him down, straddled over Jerry's prone and retaliating figure and relentlessly pounding into him like a man possessed. Quatre starred dumbstruck. HE had never seen anyone so furious. His father tried to intervene, only to be shoved to the ground by his own son. Wufei continued to pummel Jerry into the dirt, just beating him senseless, far beyond anything Quatre would've wished upon anyone, Even Jerry.

Milly had to do something. Striding over he grabbed under Wufei's arms and wrenched him off.

Thrashing and raging, Wufei bucked against the hold, his legs flying off the ground and almost knocking Milly off balance. "I'm going to fucking kill him!!! Let me the Fuck go!!" Wufei screamed tearing at Milliardo's arms and body. Wufei's hair flew in his face, twisted with blind rage as he struggled and huffed.

Milly held, even after Wufei had stopped bucking off the ground and he stood growling and twitching to be let go. Eyes still narrowed in threat to the unconscious football jock.

"Fuck, Dragon! What the hell was that!" Milly asked, thinking he was calmed. Wrong.

That just seemed to Piss Wufei off even more. "Don't fucking call me Dragon, Zechs! Don't fucking call me that!!!" He bellowed, wrenched out of Milly grip to land another punch square in Milly jaw, landing the longhaired blonde flat on his ass on the sandy dirt.

One of the avid watchers from the crowd caught the slip just like Quatre had, "Who's Zechs?"

"It's my nickname." Milliardo explained, bringing himself upwards.

Wufei stood heaving and growling starring his deadly gaze to their guide now. But he stood, eyes equally narrow. "Don't take it out on ME!" Milly growled, eyes pissed as well, "I'd be fucking Pissed to, Fie. But I'm not HIM. Don't take it out here." Milly warned eyes following Wufei's every twitch like a cat waiting for the attack.

After a second to two, Wufei huffed loudly and shot his head to the side, clearing the rouge strands away from his clenched face. But he relaxed a bit, his posture still ready, but not about to spring at the slightest movement. Then abruptly, he spun on his heels, a perfect 180 towards Quatre's position leaning on a tree pathetically dripping wet and teeth chattering.

Wufei stalked up to Quatre, giving a quick look to his drenched position and let some of the anger leave. He went to save Quatre not get into a fight with Zechs. "Take your short off, it's soaked and you'll freeze." He ordered a bit gently. Grabbing the hem of the baggy purple-gray sweatshirt, he twisted it up and over his head, hanging it on the tree limb. "It's warm."

There stood Wufei, Again deep blue nylon pants hanging low on his thin hips and a shirt that bared only an inch or two of hip and clung the rest of the way up. But this time Quatre had to gape again. The shirt had no sleeves and no shoulders, just tapering up to the high neck. He couldn't tell from his position, but he guessed it had no back. It was a style Quatre had seen many girls wear, but never a boy!

Wufei straightened and flared one side of his hip out like a girl giving that "I'm pissed" look and starred down Milly. "Don't Ever call me that again, Zechs. Or I swear to God I'll make it impossible for you to piss standing up." And Quatre knew he was deadly serious.

Turing on his heels, He stalked into the forest without another look back.

But Quatre was proven right. The shirt was backless, leaving Wufei's shoulders and expanse of slightly tanned flesh showing. And showing the intricate tattoo of scaled wings starting at his spine at his shoulder blades and touching the tips of his shoulders until the black nylon of the shirt came together at his midsection covering the bottom of the tattoo.

After the few seconds needed to get over the shock and go back to what needed to be done, Quatre shed his soaked shirt, the pants already drying quickly being of a special water resistant material, and left the other manly black T-shirt to hang off the tree limb. Deciding once the first wind hit him and caused his flesh to prickle up, he grabbed for the Wufei's sweater and tossed it on as quickly as possible and rubbing his arms together for warmth even as his hair dripped wetness down the back of his neck.

Letting out a sneeze, a wave of shivers overcame him and he decided one more thing. The God eh had upset wasn't happy with him now. He just gave him a respite to make today even worse.

This trip still sucked.

Author's note:

Next chapter, we have everyones favorite forest ranger!


	7. A Knight Needing Rescuing

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

**Chapter Six: A Knight Needing Rescuing**

Strapped so tightly in his lifejacket that he felt like a stuffed sausage and still not over the shivers from earlier, he practically pouted having to get back into the damn raft after lunch and fishing, which thankfully no one made him participate in since he was almost blue. He hated the cold. And cold water was the worst. What he wouldn't give for a freaking Jacuzzi.

At least Wufei was back. He had just up and left for almost three hours. Quatre was wondering if he'd be back before they were supposed to leave. Or would they leave without him? But fortunately Wufei came back just in time to throw on a life jacket and climb in the boat. Although Quatre wished he wouldn't be still brooding as he was. But he was kinda glad, because Jerry was going out of his way to be as far away from Wufei as he possibly could.

It was starting to get colder as the day wore on. They had paddled, had an hour break that Wufei ditched again, and then paddled some more, Quatre was glad to know they would be at that night's take-out (the boat take out point, not drive-through food take-out, which Milly had to disbelievingly state to somone) within another fifteen or twenty minutes paddling at their crawl down the rather calm river.

"What the hell?" Quatre just caught Milly's mumble under his breath because of how close they were, and he tried to follow his gaze. But all he spotted was a clearing on the other side of the river.

What Milly was looking at was NOT the spot they were aiming for, that spot was visible just a ways upstream, and he desperately wanted to go there and sleep!

"Ferry positions!" Milly shouted out and began to steer the ship sideways to fight the current and cross the river without moving downstream any closer to the original destination. But like the little worker ant he was, Quatre followed orders and together the raft made its way to the small clearing across the way. Quatre couldn't even figure out what had Milly going all the way over there.

Then he saw, and paddled with actual effort.

There in the clearing lay someone. Their body was just sprawled across the ground, clothes almost blending in with the trees and dirt. Quatre hadn't distinguished the person for the trees at first. It was a good thing Milly had better eyes.

Even closer, the raft almost on shore, Quatre could make out that it was a male by the broad width of the shoulders. He was prone as if he had been walking then just fell face first into the dirt. Just like that.

Milly was the first out of the boat. He surprised everyone when he just vaulted over the side, the river splashing up around his calves as he barreled to the mainland, leaving the docking to the strokemaster and the rest of the group as he bolted for the boy.

Anxious to see, the entire boat flooded out into the clearing, Quatre as well, so caught up with concern he didn't even think twice about getting over the edge of the raft that had nearly drown him earlier.

With only 8 people in the boat to begin with, it was easy to get a view of the situation. Milly had just turned over the boy and Quatre got a good look.

The boy's cinnamon hair was long, and tangled, flying everywhere, it seemed. He had a strong angular face, nose defined and classic and his mostly concealed neck and shoulders looked strong and lean. Hell the boy was lean. He had broad strong arms and a probably well-muscled chest, with thin, lean, masculine hips tapering into long athletic legs. The man was, for a short description, incredibly handsome. The only thing marring the perfect face was a long gash right above his eyes that looked quite horrible with some of the dust and dried blood all around it and some of the brown flakes matting his hair together.

Milly gave him a shake and open flew his eyes, wide beautiful eyes as green as the forest, that flurried around the area and group compltly confused. Then they set on Milly, face inches away because of the abrupt sitting the boy had done. Narrowing, the boy's eyes hardened and his liquid posture stiffened.

The boy furled his fist and with one motion planted it directly into the one not-bruised cheek Milly had left and sent him flying to the side and off the boy. "What were you doing Zechs!" The boys voice was strained and sore sounding, Quatre figured that he'd been through hell and back just by looking at him. He also saw that the boy's long hair was actually a long bang; the hair in the back was cut very short, only the front being long and flowing.

"Damn it, Trowa!" Milly groused rubbing the new bruise forming on his other cheek. "See If I come over and save your ass next time I see you sprawled out in the middle of nowhere, you ungrateful bastard."

It was then that the boy seemed to look around and take in his surroundings, eyeing the tourist group and the river landmarks, then around himself, looking for something.

"Where's my pack." He said quietly to himself, his voice beginning to lose the scratchy edge and taking on a deep resonating timbre.

Obviously not finding his pack directly around him, he shot up, only to have the world spin around him and start to sag at the hip, his body limply sliding towards the ground much too quickly than he could recover.

Quatre was the very closest to him and without thinking he reached out, getting a hold of the man's shoulders and trying to slow his fall. There was no way he could hold the heavy man; Heck, he was at least a foot taller than Quatre was and Quatre could easily be nestled into his chest. That thought brought a slight blush that Quatre fought as he lowered himself to his knees and rested the boy back on the ground.

"Spread out!" Milly commanded the group, "Don't go more than five minutes into the forest then come straight out. We're looking for his pack." Milly ordered and pointed groups to go in certain directions. In seconds the clearing was empty save Quatre and the unconscious boy. Milly didn't tell him to go. Probably because he wasn't standing up at the time.

Forest green eyes opened, slower this time, and spanned slowly around, much more trusting then the last time, and he raised his chin to look directly into Quatre's blue eyes. "Thanks for catching me. I'm Trowa by the way. Trowa Barton."

"Quatre Winner." Quatre introduced, mentally adding that he could fall into his arms anytime he felt like it. Especially looking that good. Hell, even with blood all over the top corner of his face he was damn hot.

Milly was the first to come back in the clearing. With the sound, Trowa seemed to snap into a more assertive stance, his eyes loosing the softness they held earlier in a split second. "No sign of your pack, Tro. You're one day into the main river."

The boy seemed to pale and sat himself up alone. Quatre missed the warmth. Selfishly he hoped he'd have another dizzy spell.

"That's a four day hike from where I'm supposed to be." He deadpanned resolutely, already calculating how to get there from where he was.

"The river's much faster." Milly drawled as if he was a dimwit for not knowing.

"Do I look like I have a canoe in my back pocket?" Trowa responded dryly, eyes cold. "I'm a full day raft ride from my station where I could at least contact my group."

'That's where we're heading anyway. Piggy-back with the group. We're stopping at the take-out a mile from here and putting in for the night, but tomorrow we're going to raft it straight to the station. I'm sure you could get there faster paddling alone and not having to deal with vacationers, but it's a free ride and quicker than hiking it. You'd never get across the river, for one, and you'll get a free meal out of it. Looking like that, I'd also figure you need the rest. You look like shit." Milly bent down and caught Trowa's eyes straight on.

Knowing he did need the help. Trowa grudgingly accepted with a nod. His head pounded, and every single muscle in is body protested against any movement. At least his vision was stable now and he didn't feel nauseous. But the prospect of having to walk all the way to the station was undoable in his condition. Plus, it was almost dark and he'd have to stop for the night, anyway, seeing as he didn't have a flashlight or any of his hiking gear. No pack meant he had nothing save the clothes on his back, the climbing boots on his feet (Thankfully) and the gloves, chalk, and D ring's hanging of his belt. At least when he separated from his group he stayed mostly in his paddling gear.

Hearing the telltale sounds of noisy vacationers back from the forest without his pack, Trowa pulled out of his musings and decided he'd better make himself somewhat presentable. Shifting up onto wobbly legs, the boy, Quatre, his mind supplied, jumped up behind him and followed. Trowa made his way to the edge of the water and knelt down as gracefully as his abused body would let him, which turned out to be something just short of a flop. Peering into the water he knew Zechs was right. He did look like shit.

Dipping his hands (fingerless leather climbing gloves included) into the freezing river, he cupped some of the liquid and brought it to his blood covered forehead, rinsing away the brown mess and bringing a new throbbing pain to the wound. After letting a breath calm the waves of hurt, he repeated it again. Fuck, it hurt, but he was more determined to get it cleaned that to let the pain stop him. Pain was nothing new to him. He lived to overcome it.

Quatre left the boy to his own for a few minutes; he looked like he needed it, and he seemed in a lot of pain over the injury. But Quatre could tell just by watching the boy's grit he would not want help and he didn't want Quatre coddling him.

Most of the group had made their way back now, all obviously empty handed, if they would have found it, they would've yelled. Most of the group collected around Milly and the crew, listening to their plans.

"Sure he can make it to the ranger station on his own power? I mean, he looks pretty beat up and as frail as a leaf." one of the crew that Quatre had never learned the name of asked.

"Oh, hell yeah. Give Trowa a few minutes and you'll never know anything happened to him. I've seen him climb with a broken ankle and two broken ribs. Believe me. He'll pull his own weight even if we tell him not to." Milly said with finality.

"Why don't we just call the ranger to come and pick him up?" One of the vacationers asked, "I mean, he's got a head injury, it's supposed to be a good idea to keep them resting and stuff until they get to a doctor."

Milly cracked a smile and took a glance over his shoulder to Trowa, washing the last of his face. "Take a look at his jacket." The group turned to see. Trowa's jacket was deep forest green trimmed in browns and blacks, except the bright yellow letters sprawled across the back. "He **is** the forest ranger around here." And as said, the bright yellow said quite blatantly, "Forest Ranger".

Trowa took the end of the conversation as the perfect time to prove to them just how determined he really was. Hell, Zechs didn't even realize the climb he was talking about he also had a concussion. Satisfied he was cleaned, the wound and his hair now clear of the dried blood, and his bangs covering the gash, Trowa stood up, forcing his legs still with his determination and turned towards the group.

Slowly, but surly he walked towards the group, head held high, eyes emotionless and step strong. He stopped at the group and waited quietly for Zechs to smile and give the command. "To the boat."

The raft pulled into the takeout point about fifteen minutes later, everyone scrambling out. Trowa felt leagues better though. Since he had no paddle, he was forced to sit with the supplies and just feel the familiar lull of the river. The nice rest was something he really needed, even if he didn't want to admit it. By the time they were going out, he felt much better and didn't even have to think about steadying himself or trying to be graceful. He didn't feel like he had rolled himself off the back of a speeding jeep, untied himself and ran as far as he could away before making I tot the beach and collapsing. His muscles felt better, still a little stiff, but nothing too bad and he was able to vault off the side of the boat just like the rest of the crew and Wufei could. He knew he was getting a free ride off the tour group, so the best he could do was help out. He had been a guide last summer and knew what needed to be done.

Taking his station, he let the tourists grip onto his arm and helped a few out, just stabilizing them enough to climb on their own. The other guides didn't bother, saying it was coddling them. He though it was just being a gentleman.

Than the blonde came to the edge, nervously looking and almost avoiding it as much as he could. Trowa couldn't help but be eager to help him out. He couldn't help it if he wasn't blind. The guy was sinfully cute and he hadn't had a boyfriend for four months. Perhaps it was a little wrong seeing as the boy looked no older than sixteen. But hey, he himself was 18. He still wouldn't hit on the boy or anything; he never flirted unless he really meant it. But that didn't mean he couldn't have a bit of a superficial crush. He was really cute.

"These things are pretty stable," he said teasingly, "You won't fall off." Trowa finally said, the blonde still not coming off the boat.

"I already have." Quatre cut rather mercilessly, "I went quite far down river and almost got raked across a rock fan just this morning after being pushed." He pointed out testily.

Trowa had to reconsider. The boy had more spine than he initially suspected.

Extending his hand further, Trowa invited him to grab on and jump down. He was the last in the boat anyway, and Trowa couldn't leave knowing the boy was stuck until he gathered enough courage to get out himself. By then, it might be night. "Best way to overcome is to do. If you don't do it now, it'll just get worse. I promise I won't let you fall in." Trowa eyes him sincerely and caught the boys pale hand.

Biting his lip and fighting the blush, Quatre nodded and took the jump into the shallow water. Trowa was there, hand still in his, and didn't move when he went in. So when Quatre lost his footing, his clumsiness catching up to him like he knew it would, he fell right into Trowa's chest.

Yep, he had been right, Trowa's chest alone was wide enough that he could fit in, arms and all. He was practically curled into him, his hands had gone out to brake his fall and now lay against the boy's firm chest. Now he would punch him for clinging like he was. Stupid instinct to cling!

But instead of a hard punch, he felt a rumble, then a shake. Then Trowa was chuckling, his whole body trembling from the force of the laugh.

A little undignified, Quatre let go and stood on his own taking the two steps onto terra firma on his own and knowing full well he would be the butt of jokes again tonight. Yeah him. Now the group had someone else to tell them stories of how clumsy and stupid he was.


	8. Climb

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

**Chapter Seven: Climb**

Hardly anyone was around, not Wufei, or Quatre's father or a good many predominate people were absent form the few people he could see. Then Quatre noticed Jane climbing up the rock face leading to a grassy plateau above the beach they came into. She got up in about five minutes. Pretty high, but not incredibly so, they would say. A little lower and less steep that the wall climbs back at the main lodge. And they expected him to get up there when he couldn't even make it two feet off the ground back at the main lodge! Fat chance there.

The group continued to thin, it already only having a few people not already up top, where he figured everyone else was. He must've really taken a while getting out of the boat.

He was the second last tourist on the ground when he realized Milly was looking at him expectantly. The other man was older, yet still more able than he was, and was gripping the first lip of the rock and waiting for Milliardo to pay attention. Milly held the rope keeping him from falling. He had tied thought the ring in the harness and threaded up to a pulley hanging above the cliff and then to another pulley on the ground near Milly's feet then to Milly's stable hands hoisting him up as he not-so-nimbly climbed.

But at least he got past two feet! Heights + Quatre BAD! BAD! BAD!

When he was halfway, and going, Milly turned to Quatre then to the other harness lying in a heap by his feet. He wasn't supposed to put in on and climb that, was he?

"Good! Now hoist yourself over the ledge. Great!" And with Milly's commands, the man was over and being helped by one of the strokemasters to un-harness him.

"You're Up, Blondie!" Milly called with forced cheerfulness. He had probably been doing this for at least half an hour or more and was tired after the long day. Quatre couldn't blame him for not being the most cheerful right now. "C'mon." He prompted again, a bit less enthusiastic.

"I can't climb that." Quatre said, almost hiding in the thick folds of Wufei's sweater, the cuffs hiding all but his pale finger pointing to the wall meekly.

"Don't be silly, it's smaller and at an angle less than the beginner one at the lodge. If you could climb half that one, you can make this easy!" Milly said again, almost as if he'd rehearsed the line a number of times. He probably had.

"I couldn't climb the wall at the lodge. I got a foot off the ground and couldn't go any further. I fell off and they let me stay off."

Millardo's fake smile fell, bewildered. "What do you mean you couldn't climb that? You have to or they don't send you out here. You have to graduate the training to be able to be out here." He stated so matter-of-factly Quatre didn't want to break his bubble.

But he had to. "Ummm. No one told me anything about graduating or anything. I couldn't do the wall. I fell out of the canoe. I let my fishing worms free. And I'm still here."

Milliard just starred, jaw agape in disbelief.

Thinking hard to come up with a solution that didn't involve burdening Miliardo he tried, "Is there a path or something I could walk up. I can hike pretty well," As long as there are no Disney squirrels, "And I actually have an alright sense of direction if you'd believe it."

Milliardo looked the rocks above him, and then to Quatre, eyes still not blinking yet. He opened his mouth looking slightly defeated, but was cut off.

Behind Quatre a deep warm voice spoke cool and ordering, "No. There is no trail. It's a climb. You can do a few feet."

Quatre turned to come face to neck with Trowa right behind him, the warmth radiating off his body a dead giveaway to his proximity. "I can't really. I'm a screw up. I'm not outdoorsy. I just can't do it." Quatre responded, very embarrassed of his shortcomings in front of a Forest Ranger that was so incredibly handsome.

Milly tuned in and started, "Trowa there's-"

"I'll take care of it, Zechs. You go up and get something to eat. I'll make sure he makes it up alright." Trowa cut him off and glared at the older man. Milly shrugged, muttering about stubborn jackasses under his breath and began to clamber up the side. Without a rope or anything!

Trowa took a few steps and stooped down to grab the harness on the ground. Quatre swore its thick yellow straps were swinging menacingly; he knew Trowa was going to make him wear it and take that wall on.

"Please don't do this. I can't do it. Ask anyone; they all saw me fail utterly. Had a good laugh about it too. I can't do this, Trowa. Please don't make me." By now, Quatre was in begging puppy-dog mode; he was desperate for another way. He was already the laughing stock of the group; he didn't need to add more fuel to the fire. But Trowa looked awful determined, crouching despite the wince from the action to put the harness at Quatre's feet level.

"Step." And as ordered, Quatre did, stepping into the harness with lip trembling. "Step." and he stepped into the other side too. Quatre was whining now, his throat creating a high pitched quiet warble in protest, yet hw still hadn't moved to help, or to hinder. Trowa straightened, pulling the harness up with him, and tightened the sides to Quatre's slim waist, finally bringing his eyes up to the tearing baby blues of the blonde begging him silently not to make him.

He would've fell for it too; he almost had, that little child's whine almost crumbing all his will that very second with its sound. Stupid kid for making him so ga ga over him. But then he saw the "please don't make me" look on him while he did as told, and his resolve stood firm. This kid needed to toughen up.

Where was the Quatre that told him he'd take his own sweet time getting out of the boat? No, this side scarred the hell out of Trowa, because he knew that he would do as was told. Even though he was this afraid. With that attitude, what else would he do, just because someone bigger or in authority told him to? That was a disturbing thought, just looking at the cherub-faced beauty. He had to find a way that wasn't just pulling an un-fighting boy up behind him.

"Quatre. To get up there, you have to climb. If you don't you will be stuck down here all alone for the bears to eat you. Big bears." He lied though his teeth.

"I'm going to hold on to you, so I promise, you won't fall, and you are going to get yourself up that cliff. You can do this. If you don't you'll get left behind and stuck out here where no one can get you" He lied again. But really, he had to instill the edge of fear in his story if he was to motivate the boy.

Quatre sucked back a breath, and shuffled closer to the looming wall of rock and grass towering over him. From his spot it looked further than the stars, just like an impenetrable fortress. Hell, he was waiting to see the vultures circle overhead.

"Put a hand onto the rock." Trowa goaded, rather forcefully, grabbing the belay rope.

A little sniffle, then Quatre's voice came muffled form the rock in front of him, "You said you'd hold on to me." he accused softly.

Mentally blinking, Trowa reviewed what he had said. Opps. He had said that. He meant he would be holding the rope, he was just thinking he'd like to be holding onto the boy. Now he was expected to fulfill his side of the bargain. Hold the belay rope, and hold him at the same time. He could until he got far. So he secured his fingerless leather gloves and twisted the rope around his torso to grip it one handed, and placed the other hand on the boy's left hip, himself directly behind the blonde so that their clothes shuffled against each others.

Steadying his own breath, Trowa turned himself into professional mode, dictating the moves as he had to hundreds of others before, "Now just grab on to the first grip and put your foot on the stone. Lift with you feet and hold with your arms." But damn it, the words came out as they should, but Trowa's breath was catching just feeling the boy move beneath his light hold! Blondie was WAY too young for him, anyway! Damn his libido screaming how adorable he was!

Quatre raised his other foot off the ground and practically lay against the rock, clinging for all he was worth as his other foot found a grip mere centimeters off the ground. Trowa would've rolled his eyes if it wasn't for the very real look of fear in the boy. It was actually kind of pathetic, really. If Quatre stood on Trowa's shoulders he would be able to reach the ledge, it was hardly worth pulling out the belay rope for.

But Quatre was trembling all over, clutched to the rock as soon as his feet were off the ground. He couldn't laugh at his terror because everyone was afraid of something, all anyone would have to do it threaten the Hospital, and Trowa would be a quivering mass of nerves.

"Okay, now raise your hand to another grip, raise your opposite foot to another ledge, then grip and pull again." Slow and steady wins the race. And right now the race was to just get the blonde to the top of the rocks before the next morning.

He made it a few feet just following the soft-spoken directions of Trowa, only inches at a time. After nearly five minutes of climbing, Trowa was just starting to find it difficult to keep his fingers on Quatre's hip, his eyes at the level of Quatre's knees.

"And step." Trowa voiced, letting his light grip slide gently off the boy's clothes as he took that last inch out of reach.

Almost immediately, Quatre clung deeply to the wall, his whole body taught and trembling and whining in his throat again. "Don't let me go. I'll fall. I can't DO this. I can't do outdoorsy things. I just can't do this stuff. I'm going to fall and break my wrist and never be able to play violin and I'll be even more of a laughing stock. Please tell me there is another way. You promised you wouldn't let go." Everything fell from the terrified blonde in nanoseconds, Trowa barely catching it all, but the last part rang through the air with the boy's sobs.

He had been doing alright until a second ago! Trowa decided then and there he would climb up with the boy, just to give him that confidence. It was a good thing Trowa was an expert climber, one was not to try his methods at home.

Securing the belay line through one of the D-ring carabiners he always had in his belt and getting a good hold of the line in his hand, he took a step onto the ample ledge easily and brought himself up the few more feet he needed to be able to touch the boy's hip again while griping the hold with his one left hand. It was a pain, especially after all he had been through the day before, but seeing the instant relaxation of the boy the second he made contact had him bare the aggravation with a smile. Like he could ever say no to that angel.

"Take a grip, good." He continued to coax the boy up further, painfully slowly for Trowa, who could've done the rock in three steps and a jump.

So to make the climb less horrifyingly dull, and get the boys mind off his fear, he tried to start conversation. "So, you don't like the woods much." Did he forget to mention conversation was NOT his forte? Well, it wasn't. He wasn't anti-social, far from it in fact, but he enjoyed quiet time and let those that wanted to talk, talk.

Good thing Quatre seemed gifted at it. "No. No I don't. I hate it out here. I mean I like to look at trees and stuff, but I can't stand being out here! I hate the bugs, and the cold water, and the stupid 'look at me I'm sooo good at this' guys prancing around laughing their asses off at me because my hot dog caught on fire or because I fell out of the canoe and had to wear a pink life jacket. PINK! I can handle rose, or purple, salmon maybe, but neon Barbie pink? Who even bought that! It's horrible. I should've fell in the raging river just to "accidentally" lose it so no one else would have to endure that horror."

Quatre stopped his rant at the deep chuckle from beside him. Looking over, Quatre saw Trowa a bit below, but mostly beside him, smiling gently. "Then why are you out here if you hate it so much?" Trowa asked before even realizing he was, in fact, conversing!

"My dad." Quatre's voice filled with even more distain than earlier, his gripping and pulling on the rocks coming more heated and aggressive. Trowa had to think it was about time he got a good pace, but whatever.

"Here I was, stupid gullible Quatre, thinking he wanted to spend time with me, get to know me a bit. We hardly see each other; even in passing in the halls of our rather large house we don't see each other. So when he told me we were going on this wilderness trip, just us, I figured he wanted to get to know me. I knew I would hate it, but I went anyway, just so he'd be happily. Like I said. Stupid me. All he wanted was to bug Mr. Chang, the head of the company he wants to land a contract with, and I was just convenient to show a "family-oriented" business. Yeah, right. Family oriented my foot!" With that, Quatre kicked at a loose stone on the ledge he had his foot as he hauled it up high and onto the next ridge, positioning his arms and other hand and pulling.

"AND," he continued pulling himself again, Trowa actually having difficulty keeping up with the determined blonde one handed, holding his line and still a little hazy from his head wound. "And, since his slip shot of a son isn't manly enough, he needs to go out in the woods and do manly thing to be more rugged and tough. But, Of course, he doesn't have time to do these manly rugged and tough things WITH me. Oh no. He has the money to pay other people to put me through hell. He actually said that! He said before he would put me in military school, but it would take away the creative part of me that will "make me a great leader someday in the far, far future". He actually said that too!" Quatre finished with a huff that sent his sweat soaked bangs out of his eyes and to the side. His arms and legs ached from the strain he was putting them through. But truthfully, he didn't care one lick. He was pissed right now. Ready to show his father just who he was talking to!

"Now grab onto the tree right there, and pull yourself up and onto your butt and slide back." Trowa interjected to the blonde's rant. With a victorious smirk Trowa watched him do as asked and Trowa followed behind to take a seat right beside the blonde at the top of the cliff and let his feet dangle over the edge just as Quatre was doing.

"But do you know what's the worse?" Quatre began, his eyes searching around for his captive audience to his bitching. Then he spotted him, leaning against a sturdy, thick tree truck, head just tilted enough to let the dying sun splash off his cinnamon hair flying about in the wind and breathing deeply. But the most captivation sight was the smirk, as if he knew something Quatre did not. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to drool or slap him form that look. "What?" He accused.

"If you're going to say the worst part is that you can't do any of this 'Outdoorsy' stuff, then I suggest you take a good long look around," the deep and soft tenor goaded, almost lovingly, for Quatre to look.

And Quatre did. His jaw slowly dropped, eyes scanning the treetops and sun passing quietly behind the folds of leaves and the acres of nature before him. Then he turned, and scanned the clearing behind him, the other group members mulling around setting up the night's camp and some munching loudly in groups holding the Styrofoam plates. Then his eyes panned down the drop his feet were currently dangling off of, and he dashed back form the ledge as quickly as he could to the chorus of Trowa's laugh.

"I told you that you could do it. All you had to do was get your mind off of what everyone else said you couldn't do." Trowa dropped those pearls of wisdom and stood, taking the rope from his carabiner and beginning to clean up the area.

Throat dry, Quatre quietly took off the harness, and helped by pilling the stuff around into the box just like Trowa, and mulling over what he said. There was no way he could do these outdoorsy things. He knew it. But he did do it, though, didn't he?

Shuffling the thoughts into the back of his head to worry about later, he and Trowa finished up the packing as quick as they could.

Finally done, they began to the line of vacationers waiting for food, Wufei grabbing the spot in line directly behind Quatre while Trowa took a spot beside Quatre, not really in the line to say. Turning, face bright and sparkling; Quatre beamed to Wufei, despite his sour look, "I made it up the cliff! In all my almost eighteen years of life, I've never actually done anything like that and succeeded!" he raved, not noticing Trowa's look of surprise, then a grin he quickly concealed.

Quatre was not sixteen after all.

The next few steps were taken and Quatre turned to grab the next plate from the worker with the logo T-shirt out of the Cherry red jeep. Then he flew around for a double take.

There was a road leading from where the jeep was parked right down the cliff though the bush, not straying far from the route they took. But his confusion quickly turned to anger.

"There WAS a trail, wasn't there!" Quatre turned outraged blue eyes on to Trowa, who was just about to step out of reach. "You liar!" He vented, not really that mad, just a little surprised Trowa had him going for so long. Curling his fist, he punched Trowa's arm as hard as he could muster, only moving the broad shouldered boy a bit, but making his chuckle break out into an all out laugh that caught the entire groups attention.

"You're horrible!" Quatre raged with a grin.

"And you're absolutely beautiful." Trowa commented with a shrug and quickly ducked behind the jeep to help the other men serve the sandwiches and chips, completely avoiding Quatre's wide mouthed look.


	9. There's a HOLE in my BUCKET

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

**Chapter eight: There's a HOLE in my BUCKET**

Wufei stepped up behind Quatre. Still standing dumbstruck at Trowa's praise and poked his back to jumpstart him back to reality. Which he did. Jump that is. About fifteen feet.

About to try and formulate something to say to the Chinese boy with the questioning eyebrow and knowing smirk, someone else chirped in.

"Did I just hear what I think I just heard?" it was Milly, stepping up behind the group with Mr. Chang slightly behind. He looked fairly perturbed.

Oh hell, now the guide was even going to hate him because he found out Quatre was gay-- not that he even said it or anything!

"He was just hitting on you." Milly deadpanned, than locked an accusing glare to the scarred blonde. At that point, of course, Omar walked into the discussion, never one to be far from Mr. Chang for any length of time, just in time to hear his son was being hit on... By Trowa.

Oh dear God, the sky was falling!

Glaring for all he was worth, Milly took a menacing step towards Quatre. Milly stooped enough to be eye level with him, the look making Quatre want to run away. Very, very quickly. Damn Wufei for being in his flight path.

Then abruptly, Milly straightened and swiveled towards Wufei, his face heartbroken, "What does he have that I don't have? I'm an attractive man! I've asked and asked, and pleaded, and bribed. Hell, I've even got on my knees and BEGGED him to let me take him to dinner. I even said HE could take me to dinner if he so chose. And he turned me down FLAT each time! Each TIME! I thought he was Asexual or something for a while. Christ! He never hits on anyone, Not since he broke up with Troy four months ago. And then, all of a sudden, he's flirting! With Blondie! I want to know. What does he have that I don't?" Milly ranted, pointedly looking to Wufei, still wearing the tight black backless shirt and low hanging white pants.

"He's cute. You're dominating." Wufei answered deadpan to the drama.

"I can pretend to be all 'damsel in distress' if that's what will get him to go out with me!" Milly proclaimed completely serious. It was quite disturbing to see.

"I mean LOOK at him!" He explained to the adults watching the scene Milly was making. "He's fucking HOT! He looks like a centerfold pin up! AND he does gymnastics! Do you realize what that means? He's a gymnast! And best of all is he's single, and gay. I mean what the hell else could I wish for!"

"How about someone who has actual interest in you?" Wufei snorted, rolling his eyes at the man's rather blatant display of feminism.

And Quatre looked on, only one thought going through his head: "These people are supposed to be manly?"

A bit less tired compared to the day before, Quatre sat with the rest of the group, (And Trowa!) sitting around the large campfire. Most people were absorbed in little conversations with the people next to them, others just contentedly watching the stars above.

To the onlooker, Quatre seemed one of the stargazers, but in truth he hardly noticed their twinkling. He was focused on Trowa, who was relaxing on a fallen log near the fire pit and silently watching the red and orange dancing flames. The light bouncing off his cinnamon locks played against the ruffling from the spring wind and all together he looked divine.

Not that Quatre hadn't thought so before, but he had never had his affection returned. Ever. The guys he had dated before (All two) he barely knew, and they just up and asked him out of nowhere and he ended up braking up with their answering machines after two weeks of not hearing from them after since their third date. And Trowa seemed like such a nice guy too. He seemed genuine, and sweet.

As if noticing that Quatre's gaze had drifted from pretending to be watching the stars to all out starring at Trowa, the object of his muse turned just enough to make eye contact. A little sheepish, Trowa smiled and let his eyes drop shyly away back to the fire.

Quatre went back to pretending to watch the sky again, actually getting interested in them for a while. They didn't have stars like that where he was from, it was a whole different world out there.

Then he felt a presence come near him and sit a few spots away. Close enough to talk, but not close enough to be even within reaching distance.

"Sorry about what I said earlier, Quatre. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Trowa voice was almost sad as he apologized.

Quatre gave a bit of a start, to engrossed in his musings to even notice that the person who moved was, in fact, the object of his thoughts. Trowa was casually leaning his arm on his crossed legs, wearing a nice tight shirt that stuck to his rippling muscles and showed off those hunks of arms so protective and strong that Quatre knew form experience could just pick someone up and wrap around them. He wasn't drooling, really.

"I don't usually just go out and say anything like that just because this sort of thing happens. I'm very sorry I upset you. It just came out. It shouldn't have, and it was very unprofessional of me. I hope you won't lose your trust in me." Trowa seemed to run out of words after that, but Quatre didn't mind. Trowa never struck him as the type who relied on words much anyway; his eyes told how sorry he was right away.

The overwhelming urge to comfort him bloomed inside Quatre, and he slid across the log to rest a hand on Trowa's shoulder. "I'm not upset, Just surprised is all. I wasn't even the one making the fuss; that was Milly. I never thought you swung the same way I do." Quatre crafted the last part to give Trowa the thumbs up as to his orientation. "I didn't mean to bother you by not saying anything back, I was just surprised and then Milly started his drama and then my dad… and Wufei… and everything just got in the way. And I didn't get a chance to..."

Trowa looked into the blonde's baby blues to see him nervous as ever and almost trembling. "...to thank you." Quatre finished.

Relief flooded through Trowa, a bright smile replacing the grim line, washing away Trowa's trepidation and relaxing his nerves.

Seeing the desired reaction, Quatre grinned, and shifted back to his spot, but not before letting his fingers trail lightly down from Trowa's shoulder and ghost across Trowa's well-muscled arm. He needed a drool cup.

"So, are you from here, Trowa? You seem friends with our guide and you're a ranger here, right?" Quatre sparked up conversation.

"No, I'm not at all. I'm from a lot of places really, my father was in the army and we moved around everywhere. I came here through a program that the government has out. Between High School and College, they send out students to be rangers in the provincial parks, which this trip goes through in the next few days. I got to know Zechs- that's what his brother and sister call him anyway, you call him Milly- when I came here about a month ago. I also knew him before, though. He's the best friend of my canoe mate Treize, who I met while we lived in Utah for a while. Zech's also my Best friend, Heero's, stepbrother. It was Heero that got me into this outdoors stuff." Trowa hadn't actually spoken so long about himself in awhile, and he found he didn't mind when it was Quatre he was talking to. He seemed enraptured by Trowa's rather dull tale.

Just about to ask Quatre to share now, he saw movement behind the boy and the tired and cold looking Chinese boy plopped down directly beside Quatre, between the two.

He moved his loose strands away from his eyes and looked at Quatre, seeming less hostile than he had in the last few days and actually a little depressed more than anything. Then the rudeness of it all smacked Quatre in the face! First, he was still wearing Wufei's sweater that he had lent him after he fell in the water, and second he hadn't introduced Trowa to Wufei.

About to do intros, Trowa beat him. "How' the trip so far, Fei?"

Wait a minute. When did Trowa meet Wufei?

"Dull. We're not even going to be taking on the class four and fives in the river off-shoots on this trip. It's a straight amateur run that's only taking this long because of the "adventure stops" as they so call them. They actually made me wear a harness to get up that cliff, you know. Zechs and you both came up bareback, and do you think they let me. Hell no. I'm an insurance risk while in this stupid little tour group."

Wow. Quatre was surprised at how easy Wufei spoke with Trowa, as if he'd known him. But the Zech's thing also kicked in. If Wufei called him Zechs too, then they knew each other. And if Wufei knew Zechs, and Trowa knew Zechs then Wufei could've known Trowa too because Trowa knew him. Quatre wasn't quite sure on the logic there, but it sounded good and explained the ease of speaking. At least he thought it did.

"What's bothering you Fei?" Trowa cut in sharp and quick, not letting him dot around. Almost immediately, Wufei bristled and twitched, his face tightening. But he refused to speak on the topic.

So now Quatre knew something WAS bothering Wufei. He was all agitated ever since they left the main lodge. But Quatre couldn't think of anything happening there that would bother him.

Ready to go back to his conversation with Trowa, Quatre opened his mouth and was just about ready to speak when he heard the oddest sound from the trees behind him.

It sounded like an echo, but gurgled by the sounds of the forest creatures, the people talking, and the river running. But after a few seconds, most of the camp quieted to hear, the noise coming clearer, rhythmic; like a song.

Then a few mumbled words could be made out. It was defiantly a voice that seemed to be singing, "Wet ...Henry. Dear, ... Wet it..." Quatre made out.

A few seconds later, the sound got closer and a bit clearer, "...What shall I ...Wet... Elisa. What..."

The voice was clear now, and the rustling of trees was visible. No one was really scarred by the person (obviously, what else could sing) and most were just watching to see the look of mortification when whomever realized they had an audience.

"With your, bucket! ... Henry...With your Bucket, Dear Henry, Dear Henry, Wet it." With the last sentence, the shrubbery parted and a figure emerged, the light of the fire shadowing it until the last few steps were taken.

It was a boy, about Quatre's age, with dark pants --save the bright yellow reflective stripe down the side-- and a dark shirt with the imprint of a cross on the front in glittering silver. But the most distinctive part of the boy was the long braid trailing behind his swaying form.

He was silent for a minute, probably digesting that his singing had been broadcasted to them for over five minutes now. Quatre knew he' be mortified if that happened, he felt sorry for the boy. But all of a sudden, the boy took a deep breath and opened his mouth loud and clear, "But there's a HOLE in my BUCKET. Dear Elisa, Dear Elisa. There's a HOLE in my bucket. Dear Elisa, A hole!" He belted out. Seeing that no one was joining, and he started waving his hands in the air, "C'mon! You all know this one... There's a HOLE-" He stopped suddenly.

Violet eyes widened in pure joy and the boy practically trembled in happiness.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" he screamed and bolted across the clearing and vaulted over the fallen logs in his path to leap up and onto Trowa's lap, grabbing his shoulders in a hug and plastering himself against Trowa, nuzzling his neck like a pleased kitten. He was even making mewing noises to accompany the act.

Trowa just sat there, his expression softened and lips lightly smiling. "Hello, Duo."

That was it; Quatre was heartbroken. Why did it always happen? The guys he started to like turned out to be taken, normally by girls. But this little twist just served to add another layer to the disappointment.

Quatre felt a surge of indignation. Milly had said that Trowa was single. He said he had been single for four months. Did he actually set Quatre up like that! What a JERK! Quatre tried to ignore the braid that was practically slapping him as its owner kept moving all over Trowa. Quatre was disgusted, mostly with Milly. And Trowa. They must've BOTH been in on it to work so smoothly! And Trowa, looking all sincere, apologizing and all that! What a Crock! He was going to give him a piece of not speaking!

A few more minutes of Quatre stewing angrily and tapping his foot on the ground where he sat, silently showing anyone who noticed he was determinedly "not angry" and something caught his eye. The bushes across from him, a right angle from where the braided guy-thief came from, moved.

Soon emerged another boy, roughly the same height as the first mysterious addition with hair about the same color. But his was short, and unruly, as if the wind had taken it and tangled it in a bush.

But once he emerged into the firelight's reach all humor about him died in Quatre's mind. He looked ready to kill the first thing that moved with noting more that his glare. Quatre sure didn't want to mess with him, all right.

"I figured something drastic must've happened to shut that baka up." The boy's voice was cool and hard, but hinted with something like amusement maybe. Or as close to amused as this guy probably got.

"Heero." Trowa greeted quietly, sending the many curious eyes from the newcomer to Trowa, then back to the newcomer. Was Heero a word in some language, or his name? Wait. Trowa had said Heero was his friend.

"Would you mind removing your boyfriend from me? He's getting heavy." Trowa finished, only a light smirk to the boy to indicate he was joking.

The braided one jumped up, overly indignant and milking it for all it was worth. "Are you calling me FAT? Hmm, Trowa Barton!" His hands soared to his chest feigning hurt and playing the wounded girl, hiding his face and everything.

Then, pretending to dash away weeping, he ran right into the serious looking boy. Without a second thought, he wrapped himself around the boy's waist and curled to his chest, nuzzling the stoic boy's neck for all he could. "Trowa said I was fat, Heero." He tattled, "Go kick his ass. I'm too lazy to."

The angry boy, Heero must've been his name, wrapped his arms around the braided boy and smirked lightly, almost predatorily. "You're not fat, Duo. And only the anorexic gymnast would think so."

"And Maxwell is too afraid to even try to kick Trowa's ass. He knows he's no match." Wufei's voice cut into the scene.

Almost immediately, Duo jumped out of Heero's arms and bounded over and up in to Wufei, clinging like a turtle to him, just as he had to Trowa seconds earlier.

"FEI!" He wailed in delight, "You're here too! Hey, the whole gang is here! What're the chances of you vacationing with Zechsy AND finding Tro? That's Nuts! How's your trip? Did you miss me? Bet you missed Tre-OWW!" Duo whined after the sharp knee to his calf shut him up.

"Yuy, Get him off me and shut him up before I do." Wufei ground out incredibly pissed, glaring daggers at Duo.

"Man, Fei-baby! Who pissed on your energy bar this morning?" Duo grumbled despite the snarl Wufei was developing as the boy continued to remain cuddled to his chest, his glare darkening in intensity and face reddening with rage every second.

Heero strolled up, and wrapped his hand around the cling's braid and began to pull. Slowly and surely he made the boy twist with it upside down, his hands stubbornly remaining around Wufei's waist so the long-haired boy was almost completely doubled back. "HEE-KOI! You sadistic Bastard! Let go of the hair!" He whined loud enough to wake the dead, and certainly loud enough to make Quatre's head hurt with the high-pitched shriek.

It seemed everyone agreed with a wince. But at least Heero solved the problem. With a quick bend he covered Duo's complaining and noisy lips with his own and began to kiss him so heatedly that even a voice as demanding as Duo's stopped and he let go of Wufei to twist around and deepen the kiss standing. Hell, the two were going at it like wild chipmunks!

"We are in mixed company. Break it off." Trowa demanded softly, but it was obviously enough to be heard because they did the second he finished, Heero remaining his cool self, and Duo grinning like an idiot.

"Glad you're alive. It's slow paddling short one person." Heero greeted Trowa with a subtle nod.

"Love you too, Heero." Trowa responded, his smile sarcastic and lopsided as he reclined against one arm on the log. Quatre was reminded of the English men in those Sherlock homes movies. Cunning and beautiful in repose. "Why is it everyone seemed to doubt me breathing?"

"We found your pack." that caught Trowa's full attention. "It was in fairly good condition, I'm sure all of your gear and things are there. But the whole side pocket was thrashed." Heero said.

"Looked kinda' like a bear claw actually. We thought maybe you got cornered before you made your way back to the meeting spot." Duo said, his voice cheerful, but serious at the same time.

Taking a sideways glance at the ample amount of people around him to hear the exchange, Trowa chose his answer very carefully, "I got what I was looking for, but Nichol isn't stupid. Then Milly found me on the east river bank unconscious just this morning. How long have I been gone?"

"If you remember last night, then you were only out for the day. We found your stuff by the offshoot bank, very far from here. We knew we had to stay mobile and hopped you would catch up to the schedule or meet us at the station." Heero answered back, equally cautions of the many ears around him.

Milly started in, "You found one, but Nichol got to it first?"

Trowa nodded solemnly to the exchange. Milly was clarified, but they obviously were the only ones to understand. Stupid opaque language. Quatre hated not understanding what was going on around him.

At least his extreme jealousy was gone, seeing Duo obviously greeted everyone in the same way. And he was obvious taken by Heero, seeing as he was still hanging on him, at ease and comfortable at Heero's side with the older boy's arm lightly resting on the small of Duo's back.

Not that he had been Jealous to begin with. Quatre hadn't cared, really. He didn't. Not at all. Nope.

Okay, maybe he did.

But he didn't have much more time to contemplate his newfound internal knowledge when the bushes began to again rustle signaling the entrance of someone else.

This was just starting to turn out to be a party. Whee.


	10. Treize

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

**Chapter nine: Treize**

The noise and confusion abounded on this trip, obviously. They had just been camping out, their mysterious guest, Mr. Sexy Forest Ranger Trowa Barton was the talk of the trip. Then didn't some maniac with a braid and a scary looking Japanese guy come into the picture. The manly-men had a field day when they kissed. It was morbidly hilarious to see them twisted in disgust and not able to do anything about it since Milly was standing within and 'accidentally' nailed the first one to comment with his steel toed boots. At least they were friends of Trowa, so it could be looked upon as one great big surprise instead of a whole lot of craziness rolled into one fucked up trip!

Finally getting to be able to settle with the new additions and all the hell they brought, Quatre was ready to just let it all settle to the back of his mind. But a sound behind him caught his attention. What now!

The bushes parted to reveal a tall, regal man, his bearing much the same as Milly. The man had short copper hair, swept back out of his handsomely classic face, save a few rogue strands. He wore a white turtle neck under a vest made of the same water-resistant, quick drying material almost everything the boys wore was made from, save his looked just more... Crisp. No matter what, even in the same basic outfit Heero and Trowa wore his just looked more crisp and classic.

He took stock of the group amassed near the edge of the clearing, and gave a charming relieved smile at seeing Trowa seated there safe and sound.

Then his eyes fell on Wufei, and he grinned ever brighter. Stepping regally fast, almost bounding, without the bounce that Duo gave the act, and more decorum, he bee-lined straight for the Chinese boy.

Wufei's eyes winded for a second, almost happily, then turned angry split seconds later. So quick Quatre would've completely missed it, had he not been looking and gotten to know Wufei already.

The tall man quickly invaded the Chinese boy's personal space, and hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of Wufei's pants, his dashing smile never wavering. "I missed you, my little Dragon." He spoke with love and leant down to capture Wufei's lips with his own. Molding the smaller Chinese boy against him and massaging his bare hips with his thumbs to relax the youth.

Quatre knew something was wrong the second he touched him, Wufei's shoulder's tensed and back snapped rigid. His arm sprung up from hanging casually docile at his side and swung.

SLAP.

Wufei was as far back as he could recline from the copper haired man, his eyes ablaze with fury and his open palmed hand still crossed from the smack directly across the other man's face. He began to wriggle out of the larger man's grasp on his hips almost viciously, still snarling.

But what seemed most odd was the copper-haired man's look of pure astonishment and confusion.

He let Wufei go immediately, his hands coming up at his sides raised into the air in surrender and eyes wide with confusion. "Dragon? What? Baby?" He tried to grasp at words, even his aristocratic bearing obviously not supplying him with something more descriptive.

"Don't you ever call me that again, you prick!" Wufei snarled, his body tense like a coiling snake ready to strike, his lip twisted in a disgusted snarl. Quatre though he'd seen pissed when Wufei was pummeling Jerry, but right now, Quatre knew that had been just the tip of the iceberg.

"Did something happen, Dragon? Are you all right? What's wrong? Baby, I- I don't understand, Fei." The older man asked bewildered at the reaction.

"Fucking asshole jerk!" Wufei bellowed, then he arched back, hip out and pissed, looking like a woman about to bitch out, "Did something Happen?" He mimicked with a cynical snarl, "How dare you! You're Fucking right something happened! Did you think I was an idiot, Treize! Like I wouldn't find out! I've never been more embarrassed-- I thought you had the decency!"

Wufei took a few steps back to give him hand-flailing room while continuing to scream to high heavens. "I though you had the decency that if you didn't want to be with me you would at least BREAK UP WITH ME, FIRST! Hell, Treize. It would've been better for you to break up with my god dammed answering machine than to screw around on me behind my BACK!"

By then, everyone's mouth was hanging agape in horror and intrigue. Quatre felt a wave of burning hatred of Treize, just because of how upset he had made Wufei. So this was the boyfriend that gave Wufei the shirt and got him to wear it. And he was cheating on Wufei. What a jerk!

"I knew you were a flirt, but really Trey!" Wufei continued, "How could you! And with UNE!" He screamed the name with such revolution Quatre would've thought it was some dirty swear.

Treize stood just shocked and mouth flapping in protest, but nothing coming out. Then Wufei had to stop for a breath. "She's our Boss!" Treize retorted in bewilderment, not understanding a word.

"AND SHE'S a WOMAN! A fucking WOMAN! I never thought you the type to go BOTH WAYS! And with your BOSS! I can't believe you! I would've never thought you would do something so... so... DISHONOURABLE!" And with that Wufei seemed finished, him shutting his mouth tightly and turning to leave, flames practically radiating off him.

But Treize caught his arm before he got one good stomp in, and turned him to face him. "I didn't! I swear, Wufei! I love you! I'd never!" He could tell Wufei wasn't buying one word.

"Milly?" Treize turned pleading eyes to the group leader who was right there, "I wouldn't! You know I never would!"

"You're my best friend, Trey." Milly said grimly, his face serious and upset as well, "I know she's been flirting with you, and all. I never thought you would either. But I was fucking There! Standing right beside Fei! We both saw you with our own two eyes, as well as three quarters of the group! I can't believe you, Man! Don't look at me to defend you!" Milly ended up mad as well.

Treize was stuck looking bewildered around, his complete shock lessening his grip enough for Wufei to wrench himself free from the gentle, but firm, hold to stalk off into the forest like he had the last few days of the trip.

Left alone and shell shocked, Treize looked around to the faces he knew.

Duo shook his head in disappointment, "You were sleeping with the boss lady! Dude, how could you do that to Fei! I never thought you'd even dream of it!"

Heero wrapped his arms around Duo's waist possessively and rested his chin on his lover's shoulder from behind. "What the hell were you thinking?" Heero cut.

Treize turned to look at the last of his group; his canoe mate.

Trowa looked from his hunched position, just brining the side of his face up to Treize, eyes narrow. "All I ever heard from you since you two met was how much you cared about him. Hell. I hadn't even met the guy until a few moths ago and I knew him in and out already because that was all you ever talked about. I really though you loved him more than anything, more that life itself. How could you do this to him, Trey? It's not your style."

Looking utterly shell shocked, Treize stood there, everyone starring at him and tried to concentrate on just breathing and trying to wrap him brain around what had just happened.

A few of the vacationers wanted to join in on the banter, and readied to comment before Quatre stood, "Wait one minute." His voice commanded strong and forceful. Everyone turned to the blonde, but he was too determined to notice.

Treize looked the boy up and down, but couldn't register he had ever seen him before in his life.

"Everyone is basically saying they thought he was a decent honorable person who would never do that. Everyone's been putting in their two cents enough that he hasn't even gotten a word in edgewise. I'm sure he has a side to the story. I think we all ought to hear it before we pass judgment on him." Quatre sat himself down on the log nearest to Trowa, not realizing how close he was to the man and waited patiently to hear.

Giving Quatre a thankful bow of his head, Treize ran his fingers through his hair a collected himself quickly, standing back to his original bearing he had for his entrance. "I am not having relations with Lady Une. I love Wufei very much; I would rather die then do anything to hurt him. I have never loved anyone as much as I do him. He's my soul mate, not just my boyfriend or lover. As for Lady Une- Yes, she loves to flirt with me and she would love to have a relationship with me, which she has made blatantly obvious many times. But I would never betray Wufei like that! If I'm right, then what you saw was nothing more than incredibly bad timing to a rather embarrassing moment of imbalance." Treize took in the looks of incredulity around him and heaved a sigh. He was on trial without a judge and without an attorney to call foul.

"And I know this will sound off the wall. I realize that. That's why I hadn't said anything earlier. But here is the truth, the whole, embarrassing truth: Lady was quite tipsy, even that early in the day, which was odd for her.

"She was coming down the stairs to her office when she fell and practically cart wheeled down the staircase. I happened to be crossing the hall right then and saw her. I went over to make sure she was all right, to find her quite Dozzy and like I said, also quite inebriated."

"You mean she was out like a light and drunk as a skunk?" Duo cut in.

Treize nodded tersely, "Yes. As I was saying,

"As a gentleman, it was my duty to help, I picked her up and figured I would lay her on her office couch to clear up a bit before dinner. When we got there, she started to make her advances, which I ignored and went to put her down on the couch. She, being of unsound judgment, either accidentally or purposely, pulled me down with her, where I lost my balance and fell atop her in a rather provocative position."

"That's Une for you. Psycho Bitch does everything she can think about to roll you in the hay." Duo added again. He really couldn't just keep his mouth shut.

"It's quite disturbing, actually." Treize continued.

"A second later, I heard someone from outside gasp and looked in time to see a tour group scurry by. I hadn't recognized anyone. By the time I was able to get from her grasp and out, I couldn't find the group to apologies for the misunderstanding. If I would've known Wufei was witness, I guarantee I would've risked fire and brimstone to apologize and clear up the misunderstanding. But I didn't realize, and I left it be and decided to block the entire embarrassing event from my memory.

"And now I've gotten Wufei upset at me, and he needs to understand I really would never do something so dishonorable. I consider myself a gentleman, and I strive to live up to that expectation. I must say, my behavior in this matter was inexcusable. I should have cleared up this misunderstanding right away." Treize finally ended his speech, and let his eyes fall to the ground before braving a look around. Most people seemed a little bit apprehensive, but forgiving all the same. Some didn't care much. But he was most worried about how his friends would act.

Duo made it a production of looking to be considering before a hesitant nod.

Milly just shook his head humorously, "Only for you, Trey. You're the only I'd believe a story like that from. You're creative enough to come up with something better if you were lying. You've never lost my trust before."

Heero glared as he normally did, "That does sound like something that woman would do. And this is the first time you've ever done, or was accused of doing, anything opposed to being a gentleman. You have the benefit of the doubt from me."

Trowa smiled gently, "I agree with Heero. You very much deserve the benefit of the doubt. Especially considering that woman, you never know what she will do next. Still friends?"

Treize smiled back incredibly relieved and nodded. Yes, they were still friends.

"You had better make this up to my son before this trip is over, Treize. Or you will not be welcome in my house. Is that clear?" Mr. Chang piped up, glaring for all he could at Treize.

Quatre was aghast. He had no idea Wufei's father knew—tolerated—welcomed Treize as his son's boyfriend. Snapping a look at Quatre's own father he saw him sitting near Jerry and his parents, starring in blatant disgust at Treize and Heero as well. He spared no look towards Quatre, though, which he was thankful for.

Treize gave a determined, precise nod. "I will defend his honor, Mr. Chang." He said in a tone that brooked no argument. Mr. Chang seemed suited to it, but not overly happy about it all. He seemed to believe Treize, though, which was the most important.

Now Treize only needed to convince Wufei of his innocence.

The extra four stayed for the night with the tour group, amidst protests. A few of the manly men huddled as far away from the 'unnatural, untrustworthy, fags' as they could and wanted to set up lookouts as they slept. Their sleeping bags had 'somehow' gotten filled with river water and they had to hang them out over trees to dry and sleep on the dirt.

Wufei still hadn't returned from the forest. Quatre was worried, but Trowa reassured him that Wufei could easily take care of himself. It seemed Wufei had been riding with the troupe before, and they all knew him well. He wasn't jealous, Of course. Why should he be?

Quatre sat near Trowa, chit-chatting amicably, it seemed they had the same taste in fiction romance books, both loved horses (Trowa worked at a ranch for a time, Quatre's family owned stables) and they both loved just about any movie, and both had a soft spot for show tunes. If he hadn't already known he was gay, that would've given him away right there.

Then a hard Plop sound came from behind, scarring Quatre out of his skin. Trowa seemed to just look behind, as if not bothered by the sudden jolt to the system. Quatre was trying to hold his heart in his chest.

There, standing cheekily behind them, was none other that Duo, grinning wildly and a deep maroon and blue pack resting at his feet. "Scared 'ya!" He drawled proudly through bubble-gum chews and sat himself directly between Quatre and Trowa.

Quatre was ready to bolt. He didn't do 'loud and in your face' people very well, reminded him too much of his father. Quatre was just about to excuse himself, when he felt Duo's hand grip onto his sleeve, keeping him down.

"I brought you your pack over, Tro. Heero said it might be a good idea. You could fix it while sitting around here." Trowa, seemingly oblivious to the nervous energy radiating off Quatre at Duo's arrival, simply turned and grabbed the bag from the ground and hauled it over to survey the damage.

"And I told, 'Ro I wanted to go 'cause I wanna meet Blondie over here." Duo finished, still chewing loudly and open-mouthed.

Duo turned to Quatre and extended a hand, "Duo Maxwell. Outdoor enthusiast extraordinaire, and all around loud, obnoxious guy. We were never formally introduced, and if Mr. I hate socializing over there," Duo, in fact, pointed to Trowa, and NOT Heero at that, "Is actually spending his time with you and not a tree, then you must be some damn good conversation. Figured I'd say Hi."

"Quatre Raberbra Winner. Indoor enthusiast. Nothing extraordinaire about me, I'm afraid." Quatre answered meekly and took the offered hand so Duo wasn't sitting there with it hanging out for much longer. But the boy only grinned brighter; Quatre began to fidget his fingers under the gaze.

"Indoor enthusiast, Eh?" Duo asked, "Does that mean you like indoor wall climbing or...what exactly?"

Quatre blanched, "Um, No. It was a joke to mean I don't do any of this stuff. I sit around and read, or watch movies and it's killing me to be out here. I can't do any of this stuff."

"Bullshit." Trowa finally cut into the conversation with force, startling Quatre and Duo in the ferocity. "He just isn't experienced. He tore ass up that cliff once he got his mind off it."

"Thanks, Trowa. But I really can't do this stuff. I told you about the training." Quatre quietly voiced, fidgeting even more nervously with his fingers.

"Oh, do tell." Duo drawled and made a show out of resting his face to his hand and waiting for Trowa to speak again. But instead, he rummaged into the pack, pulled out a pill bottle inside and removed from it a dowel of thick black thread and a needle. Fingering the long gashes in the side of his pack, Trowa scowled and began to try to thread the needle.

After about four tries, it still wasn't threaded and Trowa was getting a little mad. The fifth was the charm and he began to pull out the thread and tie it off. He slid his hand into the filled pack and brought it behind the ripped section. Practically stabbing himself in the process, he began to try and sew it up with, in Quatre's opinion, Ugly sloppy stitch work.

Duo turned a bit of a scowl to Quatre, since Trowa hadn't regaled him, and looked expectantly to Quatre to fill him in on the story. Quatre smiled shakily, not really wanting to tell the loudmouth (Well, he figured he probably was, seeing as much as he spoke) the gory details of his hell vacation.

Duo was about to beg, when the muttered curses began, Trowa's hand shooting out from inside the bag and him cradling it in his mouth, obviously pricked on his, like, Third, stitch.

Quatre had enough. He took the pill-bottle-turned-sewing-kit from beside Trowa, "I can't take seeing you murder the art of sewing any longer, Trowa. You may be able to climb mountains and kayak rivers but you couldn't sew nicely to save your life." And with that, Quatre's natural leadership began to show through as he plucked the needle from an objecting Trowa and began to pull out the messy stitches he had already made. Re-threading and shaking his head, he began to make short, quick, strong stitches twice as fast as Trowa ever could.

"So, Duo," Quatre started while mostly concentrating on the pack, "How is it you guys came upon us vacationers? What is it you're doing out here?"

"Well, Quatre my Friend, we are out here canoeing. We do that. We enjoy it. This river has a nice thick and mellow main run, but its back rivers and off-shoots are wicked. You got some nice class fives around here and some portage needed. Not to mention the climbs around here are short, but bomber. We love it out here."

"As for coming across you guys, well, we lost Tro-baby here last night. We were supposed to meet up with him this morning or before, he went on a little tour himself," Duo answered Quatre's questioning gaze, "Well, when he didn't come back we searched around, couldn't find him, so we decided to go on to the next drop-off point a few miles up river. We looked around, couldn't find him, but we did find his pack way back in the bushes near the road back there. We figured he could catch up with us, or he'd make his way to the ranger station. If anything, we had to make it the ranger station to call in his missing person status, anyway. Had us all really worried. So we kept going, and camped out where we normally would've. We began out search again and I heard you guys. Figured I'd ask if you saw anyone or what not and here he were." he sang the grammatically incorrect end joyfully, wrapping an arm around Trowa's shoulders and hugged the non-responsive boy.

Quatre nodded and tied off the stitch, already finished the longest gash in the pack and starting on the next. Trowa leant over and admired Quatre's handy work. He had been right. Compared to Quatre's expertise, Trowa's stitches were massacring the art of sewing. Although it had fixed his things good enough before, Quatre was doing a marvelous job. Too bad he couldn't come with them all the time.

"Everyone. Can I have your attention?" Milly called from around the fire. "It's time to start out little entertainment for tonight. A talent show!" He opened his arms wide to the applause. Quatre clapped as well, at least trying to sound enthused. But it just told him it was going to be another long night.

Resigned, Quatre got comfortable in his seat, finishing off the sewing on the pack (and a pair of socks, and a glove, and another sock that happened to materialize beside his stitching hand, Trowa whistling oh-so innocent beside him) and happily munching on the snacks Trowa brought back for him. Mostly everyone participated, even the guests, and the homophobe squad kept their mouths shut.

Duo and Heero just got up there and began to bicker, which they obviously realized was incredibly hilarious, Milly sang, and Treize used Milly to re-inact the Romeo and Juliet "by any other name" scene, just adding in a few more words to crack up just about everyone. But the best show was when Trowa got up and began to cartwheel and flip across the clearing, jumping over people's heads and doing summersaults. With the help of Heero and Duo holding the thin stick above the fire pit incredibly steadily, Trowa even decided to walk across it to Quatre's horror. But he made it intact and un-singed to the amazement of all present, Thank God. Crazy people.

All in all, though, it was the best night yet since Quatre could remember. He just watched and laughed and watched the stars and the fire, sitting beside Trowa, chatting with him and letting him get him anything his heart desired as he kept stitching, finishing off Trowa's things and finding more stuff stacked next to him after he had spotted Duo rummaging in his and Heero's packs. But he enjoyed doing it, because it was not only something he could do, and do well; But because it was something that needed to be done. And what this trip showed him, was what he really needed in his life was to be needed.


	11. Swept Under

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

**Chapter Ten Swept Under**

The next morning was cheery and bright. And although Quatre really didn't want to get up, it was easier than it had been the day before.

But once he was up and about, he spotted the little clique to the left of the main group, Heero, Duo, Treize and Trowa, already up and closing camp. He remembered that Trowa would be leaving with the rest of his friends.

Now he was depressed again.

Going to the nice laid out table filled with cooking breakfast foods, Milly and the crew frying up pancakes and bacon on the fire for it, Quatre munched quietly seated on the same log he and Trowa had sat on yesterday, wallowing in sadness. He missed Trowa already, and he had only known him for a day! And he hadn't even actually left yet!

Deciding to take his mind off his feelings the best way he could, he began to mentally run down his schedule. Today was the 'only eight more to go' day. They had been out on the water for two days, and this was the third.

That triggered his memory though. Today was the first of the "blackout" days, as he had coined them. Once they left this morning it would be their own cooked food and fishing until the next day's lunch take-out, where they would be at the ranger station and staying there from lunch to lunch the next day. They had communication, yes, but no vehicles could make it out there, except for helicopters or other rafts, for the next day.

While everyone else seemed fine and dandy about the idea, it made Quatre nervous. Not just nervousness he worked up himself (he did that a lot), but a feeling of dread. He could literally feel something was going to happen today, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The sudden feeling of someone watching him spun Quatre around, finding the very tall legs of Trowa right behind him. Taking a step over the log, Trowa sat himself down beside Quatre and seemed to stare into the dead fire pit, as if searching for words.

"Quatre," he started. Quatre could almost feel the tall boy beside him bothered. "We're off today; we'll be going the same way as you until your lunch time take-out. We'll be continuing on about a mile then breaking off. We plan to do our circuit in about the same time it will take your group to get back to the lodge. Unless something happens, I think I'll get a chance to say goodbye there. It was a pleasure meeting you." Trowa nodded shortly and stood, almost nervously, he had said it all without once looking at Quatre.

Quatre was sure something was not right. "What is it Trowa? I can tell something is bothering you." Quatre demanded.

Trowa blinked owlishly at the blonde. No one save Heero, his oldest friend, had noticed he was worried, and just out of nowhere a boy he just met the day before could read him like a book! He was loosing his hold on himself or something.

Trowa slumped forward a bit, hand running through his bangs and looking anywhere but Quatre. He really didn't want to tell him.

Quatre stood as well, and with a determined step he gripped Trowa's arm and wrapped himself around it awkwardly, stepping on his feet in the process. He wasn't going anywhere with that hold. "I won't let go until you spill. You'll have to take me with you. And I can be a real pain. I know ROUNDS!" Quatre warned, actually serious despite the silliness of his actions.

Trowa was defeated, and he knew it. He just couldn't take 'found a peanut' for more than five seconds. "I have a bad feeling about today. Just- Be careful, Quatre, alright? Really careful." And with that, Trowa shook off the stunned blonde and began to roll up his sleeping bag, making sure to pointedly ignore the blonde's stares.

The river was rocking and hard that day, the current fast on either side of the raft, more torturous than the day before. At least they were in the line between the two racing and tumbling sides. The travel group took their time and pressed ahead, the only thing they really could do. Quatre was getting more nervous every second.

There wasn't anything different about today, they knew the water was faster here because of the Spring runoff making the water level higher and masking some of the rapids, but Quatre could feel it in his bones something bad was looming.

Although he continued to try and calm his nerves, he couldn't seem to stop his teeth from rattling or his heart from beating faster at each itch or buck the raft made. If he looked behind his raft he could clearly make out the two canoes a few miles behind containing Heero, and Duo in one and Trowa and Treize in the other. Simply knowing that Trowa was right behind the group, and Wufei sat beside him, helped to calm him.

He wasn't sure where Wufei had gone, but he was back just in time to climb into the raft and that was all. He didn't even spare a glance to Treize who tried desperately to speak with him. It seemed Wufei was still pissed.

Almost as if sensing Quatre's thoughts, Wufei turned to look right to the blonde and leveled a calculating stare to him. But Quatre held firm, eyes not wavering. That was one thing Quatre had always been good at: keeping eye contact. Even when he was being bullied at school, he watched them every step of the way. It unnerved some, but others just thought it more of a sick thrill that he'd watch and not fight back.

Wufei dipped his chin a little, a small smile gracing his features for just a second to reassure Quatre that he was in fact going to be alright, before turning his face back to the paddling at hand. Dipping in and pulling back, Quatre continued to stroke down the river, his mind confined to repeating the mundane motion to keep him from thinking too much about his feelings or about the swift rapids beside him.

The raft began to speed up with the current, a small fall coming up ahead and Milly yelling out directions right behind Quatre's ear. Not that it was a challenge.

Quatre wanted to see the side of the water, so he let his feet slide out from under the bench in front of him with the supplies and teetered just a bit over, nowhere really near the edge.

All of a sudden from Wufei's side came a loud exploding hiss.

The boat bucked frantically; the raft arched up sideways, the left edge flinging into the air and the right plunging into the water with lightning speed.

Quatre felt cold envelop him, his breath catching as he pitched with the water. His legs tumbled out from underneath him and the colour swirling in his eyes turned from bright sky to icy white in nanoseconds.

Fighting the waves, Quatre made it up to the surface, gasping for breath and chocking up water. But almost immediately, he was being pulled down and through again, caught in the Eddie line between the fast and slow moving waters.

Bobbing up again, sputtering and splashing, Quatre heard another beside him, calling out to him. "Stay Still Quatre and grab- For the branch!" it sputtered out as the voice gurgled through the water.

Through his pounding mind he decided to just do as told, stilling his flailing limps and frantically searching for whatever branch the other had been talking about.

But all he could see was rushing whitewater and spinning colors. Sickly, he knew he was being pulled somewhere he didn't want to go. The water rushing around him was the only thing he could hear or feel.

Then like a sudden shock of reality, a firm hand gripped his wrist, burning hot, compared to the icy water and brutally fierce. Even though his body continued flailing downstream with the current, his arm did not.

Practically being yanked from its socket, Quatre's arm protested and ached, but the leverage was enough to let him gasp for the surface. Sputtering and chocking he tried to find his bearing, the water deafening him and crashing into him with fervor.

Turning around enough to see who was holding him, he came face to face with Wufei, and his own arm stretched to the limit to grasp Quatre. The rest of his body was wrapped around a branch wedged half a foot above the freezing water between two gigantic sharp rocks.

With a gulp, Quatre realized just how lucky he was to miss them; he had just about passed right through the rocks and went down the choppy falls that fell into the offshoot of the river.

Feeling breakfast wanting to come up again, he held it back, catching only pieces of something being yelled to him.

Concentrating all he could, he tried to filter out the scream of the water around him that was viciously fighting for him to rejoin it. He made out Wufei was telling him to climb up his arm. Quatre's ragged breath gulped one last mouthful of air and he flopped upwards, his belly in the water instead of his back like it had been; now he could see Wufei.

And the gear racing towards him!

Wufei didn't see it behind; Quatre began to tug away from the waterproof packs, his legs pumping the rushing water and free arm paddling as best he could.

With a sickening thud, the bag nailed the rock just a few feet away from them, and rebounded, raking itself across the jutting rock, thankfully only banging Quatre's hip as it passed and splayed out on the jutting rocks down stream.

That could've been him.

Now he was worried.

"DAMN IT! GRAB!" Wufei bellowed and cutting off Quatre's shock at seeing the bag wrapped around the rocks below and pounded mercilessly by the current.

He turned his face to Wufei and grit his teeth. Pulling his dragging arm from the relentless current, he willed it ahead of his body and then free from the current. With strength he never knew he had, he gripped Wufei's wrist and began to pull.

The current forced him back, but Quatre would not allow it to take him. Pulling harder, he was able to bring his arm closer to the branch Wufei was grasped to, then closer still.

Gasping hard, and fighting against the water pounding his face, he let one hand go from Wufei and swung his arm to the log.

The rough bark cut into his water-pruned skin, but he grasped even harder. Jaw set, he curled his arm around the bow and gripped it, dropping Wufei's hand totally to wrap both his arms around the branch.

Hauling his chest and head from the water, he realized just how frozen he was, his teeth chattered and his fingertips were bluing. He couldn't even feel his legs that dangled and dragged in the water rushing underneath them.

"Quatre, Are you alright?" Wufei yelled over the roar of the waves.

Quatre gripped tighter to the branch and caught Wufei's worried eyes. "I'm al-l-right" he shivered out. Okay, so was even colder than he would even admit to himself.

The Sweep boat was closing in on their location, the man in the canoe trying his hardest to get as close as he could, but the water was flowing so fast through the obstacle that the boat couldn't get close to the sieve.

It ended up pulling up to the rock nearest the slow channel and tying off to it, throwing a rope and harness over the top of it to Wufei and Quatre. Sweet Rescue!

Wufei was the closest where he was and grabbed the harness, "Quatre, put this on!" he demanded.

But Quatre refused, his head shaking profusely. He would not allow Wufei to think he was lesser or in need of saving first. They were both equal. And really, put in the scheme of things, Wufei had more people who would mourn him if something happened anyway. "You're closer and they're here. Put it on and while you're going over I can shimmy closer. I need the time anyway." Quatre yelled to him.

Damn it all to making sense. Wufei hated realizing his overprotective streak. Quatre made more sense then his logic did. Quatre was right. The boat was there, it wasn't like a few seconds would mean much of a difference. Although a part of his mind screamed back every second counted in circumstances like this.

That was right, though, every second did count and the time he was taking by not putting the harness on and making Quatre shimmy along the log before being pulled was wasting precious seconds.

Grudgingly and snarling to himself, Wufei wrapped the harness around his waist and locked the carabineer in place. Then with a tug and a yell to the boat to let them know he was coming, he began to pull himself across the fallen branch and towards the rock. Once he made it there, he wrestled himself higher and higher out of the surging waves and slid to the top of the rock, seeing the boat on the other side.

Crack.

With horror, Wufei turned to see the log beginning to splinter, Quatre stationed right in the middle and with nowhere to go.

Scrambling towards the breaking and bending limb, he reached out, just as the branch gave way and the current swept the blonde under.


	12. Hypothermia Can be a Good Thing

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

**Chapter Eleven: Hypothermia can be a Good Thing**

Trowa was watching the raft ahead of him absently, just keeping his paddling calm and relaxing. They were taking it easy right off the bat until they made their chute and took it away from the group. Easy paddling suited him better than he wanted to admit.

He was still sore from where he rolled off the back a speeding jeep driven by Alex, crooning at how they were going to be rewarded for bringing him in alive for questioning, falling into the god damned brush filled forest with his hands and feet tied and then had to get the hell away before they caught him. It was entirely the stupid Bat's fault. God damned screaming flying rat. It was its fault he got caught. But, optimistically, it was because they had driven him miles away from where he was supposed to be without his pack or a way to get help that he had met a cute little blonde. And watching said cute little blonde in the tour raft ahead brought a smile back to his face.

But then, to his horror, he saw out of the corner of his eye something small, barely noticeable, shoot out from the covered opposite bank, and then one of the rafts bucked. The entire back and left jumped up into the air and flung someone out and into the Eddie line four feet away. Others fell and tumbled, and the right side was plunged into the icy water.

Seconds later, the boat stabilized, people grasping to the sides and being helped back in.

With breath caught and heart stopped, Trowa scanned frantically for blonde, knowing in his heart he was one who went under. Then he saw the blonde bobbing up.

In the Eddie! And racing towards the rocky sieve and the slight falls beyond it!

Trowa knew these waters well, and he knew that beyond what they could see was a grater of rocks with the current going so fast with the run-off that he'd be racked across it and ripped apart.

"DRAGON!' Treize bellowed from behind Trowa, his canoe mate rocking the boat by jumping to his feet.

"FUCK! He got tossed four feet into the Eddie line! We have to get there!" Treize cried, immediately plunging down into his seat and digging furiously into the water with his paddle to get to his love.

Trowa was surprised they weren't spinning, and then realized he was digging in just as frantically, knowing Quatre was in danger.

They caught up in seconds, Heero and Duo's canoe going to help some of the stragglers into the now equalized raft. But Treize and Trowa glided towards the sweep boat that was making its way down the falls and to a set of large rocks, about the size of a kitchen table and tall enough to get completely out of the water. Across it lay a branch, the roundness of a margarine container and spanning across the raging and surging water beneath.

Treize breathed a prayer of thankfulness when Wufei appeared out of the water and wrapped himself around the bow, putting it between him and the way the current wanted to take him. As long as he held himself up, there was no way he was going down river. Treize had taught him well.

But Trowa was not calmed yet. He hadn't seen Quatre's tell-tale blonde poke from the surface in a few seconds, although their vantage point was lacking.

The he heard Wufei calling to Quatre, and then in his grasp came a slim incredibly pale arm. Even at that distance, Trowa did not like the feel of the situation. Then Quatre got himself up, argued with Wufei about who would go first. Trowa was wishing Quatre would go first, since Wufei was a much more experience swimmer and was more knowledgeable about survival techniques, but he saw the obvious as well. And Wufei grudgingly began to crawl up onto the rock.

Then almost as all his nerves tensed immediately, Trowa knew something had happened. Wufei began to yell and scamper towards the log.

Trowa began to paddle, sending Treize off balance with the speed. Trowa flashed his eyes toward the log just into to see it fold and plunge Quatre back into the freezing, rushing water and down the stream.

The boy bobbed to the surface, staying still like Wufei had told him and tried to move his legs with the current, keeping his body together, like the safety talk had told him to do. But even as he tried, the rocks were weaved close and hard, not being able to see one until you were right at it. And the current was so strong and fast that he could barely move.

With a clunk and pain shooting up his entire side, Quatre felt his breath knocked from him as he impacted against the side of a rock, his eyes staring then going black.

Trowa watch in horror as Quatre barely missed one rock to slam side to side with another just behind. His body pitched up and hit against the side, and then, limply, he flopped away, splashing into the water and continuing down the run, his body pliant and listless.

Gulping down panic, Trowa rowed faster, then warning Treize, jumped the boat to the chute, following close behind the blonde.

Quatre had made it past the worst of the rocks and was now just shooting limply towards the main river, or the even more dangerous falls!

Between the two lay a large shallow; a take-out that if Quatre could get there, it would be over. As it was, Quatre had been in the ice cold water for over fifteen minutes since the raft flipped, and with Quatre's thin and light structure water as cold as it was in the morning was very dangerous. He had to get out soon.

Seeing that the current would not be so kind as to float the blonde to the shallow, Trowa pulled in his paddle and locked eyes with Treize in silent communication. Immediately, Treize pulled his paddle from one side and plunged it in to the other, single handedly taking up the paddling. Pulling strong and hard, Treize lifted it again and with a figure eight move, he began to stroke both sides keeping the blistering time with the current.

Trowa gripped the side of the canoe, and within seconds of dropping his paddle vaulted up and over the side, diving deep into the rushing current and punching the water with his feet

The difference between Trowa's dive and Quatre's fall was that Trowa was an expert swimmer and he knew where the rapids were heading.

Letting the current do most of the work, Trowa guided himself to Quatre, catching up with only a few strokes.

Wrapping his arms around the blonde's limp form, he turned and began to kick and pull towards the sheltered inlet, the shallow coming up close. He had to get them over fast or have to fight the current to get back.

Almost missing it, Trowa kicked and pumped his arms harder, keeping Quatre above the water and pushing against the silt at the bottom when it came to meet his feet.

Practically tumbling up and onto the dry land, Trowa pitched forward, Quatre still in hand and fell to the dry sand. Gasping for air himself and every muscle protesting its sudden exertion, Trowa ignored his own body and hauled himself up and over Quatre's prone form.

He was incredibly pale, his lips bluish and his whole body trembled in shivers. But that meant he was still alive. Within seconds, Quatre pitched over to the side, his cheek against the sandy dirt, and began to heave up water in chocking sobs and sputters. Trowa, elated in joy, padded his back, helping his purge the last of the water and the rest of his breakfast onto the ground, thankful he was alive.

Quatre rolled onto his back, away from the mess and starred at the sky, then to the grinning boy splayed soaking wet and glistening beside him. Perhaps he had died and went to heaven after all. He felt so hazy and exhausted he was sure he was dead, or dying.

The canoe holding Treize beached with a scraping sound, the sounds of splashing and running coming. Treize descended on top of Trowa and Quatre, checking them for consciousness. Trowa just nodded at his canoe mate's look, telling him he was fine. Then Treize kneeled down to Quatre, his hands immediately digging into Quatre hair painfully, and pulling around.

"OW! What are you doing?" Quatre demanded his voice weaker than he had wanted and his body trembling and shivering uncontrollably in waves of intense cold.

Treize didn't answer, instead starring directly into Quatre's eyes, holding them open and apart roughly. He let go seconds later, Quatre blinking and trying to stop tears from wetting his eyes again. His whole body felt like .he'd been thrashed through a freezing cold river. Who'd a thought?

Another wave of shivers shook him, nothing focusing in his mind except the sheer cold he felt and the trembling that racked his slim body.

"He doesn't have a concussion. But he's borderline hypothermic. We need to warm him up, now. I don't have a warm air heater and we can't just leave him while we boil water." Treize explained calmly. In the background, Quatre though he heard the sounds of another small boat pulling into the sand.

Then Duo's voice, "Here's our two-man sleeping bag. Strip him down and wrap him up."

Seconds later, Quatre felt his shoes being thrown from his feet, another wave of shivers, this time more violent than the last, and he could hear the sound of the sleeping bag being unfurled.

Then his shirt was thrown off and his pants were being tugged off. Quatre baled up the energy to look and see who was striping him.

It was Heero rolling Quatre's pants off of him. He felt almost disappointed that it wasn't Trowa. Not that it wouldn't be ten times more embarrassing for Trowa to see him so weak. But still. At least Trowa wasn't a stranger. Quatre would've helped, but he was having enough trouble just keeping his eyes focused.

Then, letting his eyes roll to the side, he caught sight of Trowa, stripping down to his boxer quickly. Quatre's eyes went wide, digesting the well toned and rippling muscle that was Trowa. He couldn't see one ounce of fat on his body. Then, Trowa turned towards him, letting Quatre get a view of his pecks and tight abs as he walked toward the now pulled out sleeping bag. He found himself drawn to the width of his shoulders, large enough to completely wrap around his own small form and just hold him close. The thought was enough to make him blush, if he hadn't been shivering so badly!

At the same time, Quatre felt himself be hauled up, Heero wrapping his arms under his knees and around his back.

Again, Quatre wished it was Trowa. The thought of the knight in shining armor rescuer carrying him like a damsel in distress was terribly romantic. But right then the numbness and cold he felt seeping into his thoughts was enough to make him not really care, because at least Heero was a bit warmer than the outside.

Heero deposited Quatre down onto something fluffy, but not really warm. He missed Heero's heat immediately. But once he was down for a second, he could feel something else warm right beside him. Desperate for heat, he curled around the body, arms wringing around bare wide shoulders and mostly naked body fusing to another equally undressed one.

Before he could pull away realizing what he had done, the other side of the sleeping bag was thrown over the two and zipped up pinning the two together.

Quatre desperately wanted to stay where he was, but his head was screaming at him to at least apologize! "Troooowwwa?" his voice was trembling, shivering and his head was hurting just to focus long enough to string words together. He was trying to apologize for practically taping himself to the forest ranger and he couldn't even manage his name!

A bit more movement, and Quatre felt Trowa's arm snake around underneath him and around, the other making its way to join the one rubbing his back from on top. Quatre just melted into the warmth, letting his body soak it all up and let Trowa's strong arms around him fill all his senses. After a bit of hesitation, Trowa leant down, just a bit, to tuck Quatre's head just under his chin, the blonde now thoroughly glued to him and curled around as if they were lovers.

God, it was a fantasy come true. Quatre knew he had to be dreaming. The indescribable comfort and protection felt too right to be real.

But soon the sheer comfort, just taking in the sweet pine and vanilla scent of Trowa, loosing himself in the lulling rise and fall of his chest, while soaking up all the warmth around him was broken by loud voices and the scraping sound of another boat being pulled in, then another and more voices. The sheer volume was making his head pound. But he had a feeling they weren't really that loud. He must've knocked his head good. He hated the outdoors! Well, except its scent on Trowa. It was fitting on him.

"I demand to know the meaning of THIS!" Quatre's father bellowed, his noise far too close to Quatre for comfort. But he just didn't have the energy to open his eyes to see him and let him yell at him. Another wave of intense shivers overtook him, rocking him to the core.

He'd pretend to be asleep! Good Idea. Avoidance solved everything!

God! No wonder he was picked on. Talk about anti-confrontational!

"I ordered it." To Quatre's surprise, Treize spoke up forcefully, placing himself between the sleeping bag and Mr. Winner.

"Your son is borderline hypothermic from being in the water so long. He needed to be warmed up immediately; the quickest way is from within, like a hot drink, but we don't have the time to boil something up. The next best is skin to skin warming. Trowa is a certified forest ranger and knows how to monitor Quatre's vital signs while he is with him so your son doesn't go into shock. He needs to stay there until he is warm enough and ready to come out. You pulled in here so your raft can be repaired anyway, so I suggest you just stay with the group and we'll tell you when your son is given a good bill of health."

"And who appointed YOU a Doctor? I think this is a crock!" Omar Winner raved. Obviously he was in one of those moods. Quatre shivered again, half from cold, half from fear of his father's voice. That scream scarred the hell out of him. Trowa nuzzled him closer, increasing his rubbing on his back that was making tingly pinprick sensations embrace him. He didn't know his back muscles could fall asleep like his feet did.

Milly stomped to the scene, eyes burning and ready to kill. "Look, Mr. Winner." He ground out, "Treize is a licensed paramedic! He knows what he is talking about. I would've ordered the same thing. Now please, take yourself over with the rest of the group. Now." And with a surprised Omar Winner in tow, Milly walked back to the group, painting on a carefree smile and told them they were going to stay there for a bit. Then he directed one of the guides to get out the fishing gear and take the group out.

Within a bit, most of the group went fishing and left only Trowa's group, Milly, and Wufei (who disappeared before they left and re-appeared after he couldn't be made to fish). Milly, Treize, Heero and Duo were all flipping over the raft and searching for the hole to fix it.

Quatre moved under Trowa's chin, just enough to look at him and still lay comfortably on his shoulder, cradled in strong arms. He wanted to thank him, to say something, but before he could, he noticed Heero coming towards them and crouching down.

Heero looked at Trowa, serious and grim.

"What was it?" Trowa asked, straight to the point. Heero moved his eyes slightly over the sleeping bag, making it obvious about Quatre being there.

"I'm cold. And I'm not moving." Quatre told Heero with a voice practically whispered despite his want to scream it, boldened by his pain. "I won't tell what ever it is you're talking about. Who would I tell anyway?" Quatre muttered the last bit, subconsciously leaning more into Trowa for support.

Heero's eyes narrowed dangerously, appraising the blonde differently than before. Trowa nodded, and clutched Quatre close, telling Heero to continue.

A bit indignant, Heero huffed, and then rolled his eyes. He held up his hand, a slim needle like point between his thumb and index for Trowa's inspection. "We found a dart point in the raft. It was punctured purposely. I don't know why the company is after them. It's us who they want out of the way." Heero said coldly.

'That's probably why." Quatre said quietly from Trowa's arms. Both looked at him strangely, wondering what the hell he was talking about.

"If they want to harm you, they wouldn't want witnesses. With us in front of you, they couldn't do anything to you without us seeing and helping. So they took us out of the picture, probably assuming you would go on your way and out of our sights when we stopped to fix our raft. The best thing you did was stopping, probably." Quatre deduced.

Boldened by his splitting headache and knowing he could blame misjudgment on his condition, he decided to just out and ask, "What is going on. And more importantly, why are people trying to hurt you?"


	13. Rivers Never Run Straight Ahead

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

**Chapter Twelve: Rivers Never Run Straight Ahead**

Heero glared for all he was worth to the blonde snuggled under his best friend's chin shivering and wet from his near fatal fall into the river who then had the gal to out and ask their most guarded secret.

Quatre would've flinched under the burning glare, but he was too tired, too cold, and too damn dizzy to think straight.

Heero turned on his heels, scowling and practically growling as he strode away and over to the raft, helping the others (rather violently) fix it.

Quatre still wanted his answers, so he turned his look to the man holding him comfortably. Trowa was ignoring him, looking every way he could to not acknowledge Quatre was there.

Letting out a huff, Quatre laid his head down, his sleepiness overtaking him once again.

Trowa felt a bit bad about keeping the boy in the dark. But he knew when he had already opened his mouth too big. Heero knew too. He was slipping. He couldn't just tell their business because of big blue eyes and an adorable smile. Heero had been right; the blonde was starting to cloud his judgment.

Soon he felt light huffs of even breath against his collar, Quatre having cuddled deep into his arms again and falling asleep.

"Trowa…" Quatre muffled, adorably mashed in his arm, and not as asleep as he had thought. Trowa listened attentively, curious and almost alarmed at his seriousness.

"I'm sorry if I got heero mad at you for letting me stay." Quatre burrowed deeper into the warm embrace, "Please don't be mad."

Trowa felt his heart melt and stomach flutter affectionately. "Don't worry, baby doll. You did the right thing. You never back down with Heero and never break eye contact. He'll prey on you after that. He's a great guy and loyal to a fault once you gain his respect. But the few that have gained it are pretty much right here and you've met them." Trowa said in probably the longest speech he'd made for a while. What was it with the blonde that had him talking?

Quatre just enjoyed the warmth and protection of Trowa's arms, the two laying in mostly silence, listening to the woods around them and the scuffle of the raft repairs until Milly began to make supper.

It looked as if they would be a bit behind in their schedule and camping right where they were for the night.

Stalking through the forest cover, the dark of night hiding them from the large amount of people, Alex sidestepped a branch and darted through the clearing and ducked behind the equipment stack. Finding the barrel he was looking for he wrenched the whole top off.

Twisting off the cap off the canteen, he held it strong and poured the thick substance in. Most of the heavy liquid sunk to the bottom, but a good swish sent it around and mixing.

Knowing that Nichol would be happy, Alex practically skipped back into the forest. In his haste to leave, though, he hit a stick that he had so thoroughly avoided when coming it.

With a loud SNAP echoing in the nighttime still, Alex froze in surprise.

Duo shot up from his position, Heero right behind.

Jumping from his sleeping bag, Duo squinted in the black to locate the sound.

Alex took off, bolting through the dense underbrush like a frightened rabbit and weaving through the trees. Finally away and not hearing pursuit, he smirked, making his way back to Muller waiting for him in a jeep.

"Did you see what it was?" Duo asked, still keeping an eye out.

"Whatever it was, it's gone now." Heero answered coldly.

Duo, still not totally convinced, but trusting his boyfriend, nodded. "Probably some animal looking for a snack." Duo said, more to reassure himself than anything.

"Go to sleep, love." Heero said, pulling the boy back down into his arms. Quickly, Duo snuggled into the warmth and fell right back to sleep.

But Heero kept his senses alert, holding each sound and call in his head, watching.

In the deep, the sound of an engine started to life. Heero clenched his jaw, vowing no matter what, their group would be off tomorrow morning. They had endangered the travel group enough already.

At least this time he and Duo had noticed something wrong quick enough before whoever could do some real harm.

At least, he thought they had been in time.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Feeling brightness burn his eyelids open, Quatre was momentarily blinded with the morning sunshine waking him up.

He did not want to wake up. Yesterday had been one of the best days of his life, but he knew that today Trowa would be leaving. They probably would never see each other again. He had only known Trowa for little more than two days, and already just the thought of him leaving left Quatre with an emptiness he couldn't explain.

That seemed like Deja-Vu to him for some reason.

Jane and her husband were already bustling about; they were probably the first to wake, just like every morning since they had arrived with the tour group. As Quatre watched, Jane stopped in the middle of what she was doing, holding her stomach tight and breathing deep, trying to catch her breath. But she hadn't seemed to be doing anything too strenuous? She moved over to one of the logs, and flopped down, still holding her stomach and breathing hard and ragged. It was an unnatural sort of wheeze that had Quatre's hackles rising.

Immediately, the haze from sleep was replaced with concern. Jumping up from his sleeping bag, Quatre forced his morning delayed legs to move and made his way over. "Jane? Are you alright?"

"Yes, dear. I'm fine. Go get yourself some breakfast." She breathed out, a bit more raspy than normal.

A feeling of dread swept over Quatre. Something was not right!

"BILL!" Someone screamed out in a panic, waking the last few sleeping.

Turning his head, Quatre watched the largest man of the troop, a tall and wide older man, crumple to the ground, moaning in pain. Immediately, Treize ran over, abandoning his packing, and laid his hand over the fallen man's forehead.

A few seconds later, another woman, one of Jane's early-riser friends, clawed desperately at a tree to keep herself up, but it wasn't enough to carry her weight when her legs gave. Crumpling to the ground, she turned, vomiting into the brush violently, savagely retching.

Haggard breath right beside him caught Quatre's attention, and he grabbed onto Jane's shoulders and moved her over to purge; her body wracked in tremors as she vomited dark and sticky onto the ground, sweating and racing to catch her breath as her body lost all strength. Quatre held, keeping the woman from pitching forward and moving her off the top of the log to rest against it. Quatre wasn't strong; his might was gone already from the heavy burden, but he had enough to get her leaning against the log. Jane's head was burning up, and she looked like in the last few seconds she had gone through a washing machine, a grain thresher, and a stampede of elephants charged on top of her!

Treize looked up and saw the chaos around, most people waking confused and those already awake in pain.

"Don't eat or drink anything until I check it. Everyone just stay calm." Treize ordered. Immediately, Milly, Trowa, Heero, and Treize began to rip into the bags of food and look at the leftovers of fish from dinner.

"Trey!" Milly called, standing in front of the large water basin.

All searchers converged on the basin, and knew then and there what was wrong.

"You have to get those people to the ranger station, Milly. If my instinct is right, it's not fatal. But they need to get into a more sterile and comfortable environment." Treize said quietly.

"It'll take two, three hours, no, MORE to get a helicopter here." Milly whined quietly, "They'll be pissed by then!"

"It's an hour by raft. And hour and a half if you go cautious with the group. Take them in the rafts." Trowa spoke up, having the training as a tour guide as well as a ranger just as Treize did.

"Walker can meet you down at the put-in with our medical jeep the second you get there, so you cut out walking time." Trowa in Forest Ranger mode explained.

Milly nodded. He knew the best course of action where he heard it.

But Fuck. This was bad.

Milly did the math. The sick people were hardly able to keep themselves upright now. There was no way they could sit in the raft, they would have to lie down. And just three of them would take up way more room than they had to spare.

Even with leaving most of the supplies, and the sweep boat, there would not be…maybe. Maybe they could all fit. It was probably possible. He was just worrying himself over nothing. Yeah. No use worrying for nothing.

"They aren't all going to fit, Milly."

"Unfortunately, I know, Treize." Milly sighed.

"Maybe we can leave some of the crew out here until we get to the station then come back for them later. They can take care of themselves." Milly began pacing, striding around the clearing trying to think of some kind of solution.

"Not a good idea. You need the amount of crew you have to legally take out a trip, this trip began down to the bare minimum because the rest of us were out separate. The ones you have aren't experienced enough. You know you need the crew you have." Treize hissed, keeping his own ire low so that the vacationers wouldn't notice. He had told Une not to do this run with all her most experienced rafters on the mission.

"Maybe you guys can take people?" Milly asked hopefully, "Just to the Ranger station?"

"No." Heero's cold voice bit into the conversation.

"We're already two days behind schedule, and you know as well as we that what happened was not a coincidence. The longer we stay, the more 'accidents' may happen."

Treize began to rub his forehead, the strain beginning to give him a headache. Trowa was thinking, absently watching his blonde help the older woman, Jane, feel comfortable. Duo toyed with the end of his braid, holding onto his boyfriend, who was stock still as usual. Milly was starring off into space, hoping a solution would present itself. Unfortunately, nothing was coming.

"I can leave." All heads turned, and there, out from wherever he was hiding himself, was Wufei.

Standing, hip cocked and eyes narrowed dangerously, Wufei glared at his EX-lover and past to Milly.

"I can leave the raft and go with them. You need the extra space and I'm small. I can fit in the middle of Heero and Duo's canoe. I'm an expert rafter, I can handle myself."

"You know what we're doing. You could be in danger. Please Dragon-"

"Don't talk to me, Treize." Wufei bit, "I know very well what is going on. It is only because of this trip with my father I am not with you anyway. It is the only logical course. Don't tell me you are so blind not to see the obvious."

"That still wouldn't be enough room. Two, at the least, of the rafters would have to leave. Just one would not solve the problem and put you in danger you need not be in." Treize rationed.

"His suggestion does have merit." Milly stroked his chin in thought.

Heero raised a brow, scanning Wufei. "He is small enough to fit in our boat, and he does have the skill. I'd allow him to join."

Treize looked scandalized! "It wouldn't solve the problem. I will not allow you to endanger, Dra- Wufei, for no good reason!"

"I am not a pet to be coddled!" Wufei flamed, eyes burning murderously.

"It won't be enough!"

"Than I can go."

All heads snapped to see Quatre standing there; he looked small in the over-large black manly T-shirt and the tired expression from working too hard taking care of those sick. But it was he who had spoken.

"I'm small, like Wufei. I may not be good at this stuff, but if you tell me what to do, I'll try my best."

Heero snarled, stalking from Duo's side. Eyes burning and lip twisted into a snarl, he rounded on Quatre, stopping right in front of him and growling low in his throat. "You'll 'Try your best?' That's not good enough." Heero came right up to him and pushed his shoulder, sending Quatre stepping back, frightened.

"Are you an idiot! Do you think this is a game? Some movie adventure? I heard what YOU can do. You couldn't even stay in the raft!" Heero snarled.

Quatre began to shrink under the heat, curling upon himself and holding his wrists together. But he refused to break eye contact.

"Hey." Trowa barked from behind, coming up to his best friend. "You have no idea what Quatre can do. You ought to know better than to listen to gossip."

Trowa glared at his friend, "I was right there. I saw him swear up and down he couldn't climb. Then he tore ass up that cliff once he got his mind off it. I was having difficulties keeping up with him, and I'm a top ranked climber!"

"This isn't a rookie vacation, Trowa. You're boyfriend can't take it. And I won't be responsible for him."

"I'll take responsibility." Trowa stood tall, superiorly glaring Heero down.

Heero practically scoffed, eyes narrow.

Turning abruptly away from Trowa, he glared straight at Quatre- Who still hadn't left!

Heero stiffened, pissed and showing it, he dunked his hand deep into the open tainted water jug beside him, quick as lightning, and with a mightily heave sent a huge splash towards the little blonde.

Quatre saw the water rushing at him and fear gripped his heart, his instinct told him to run, curl up, duck the onslaught. But screaming in the back of his head told him to stand firm. Trowa's voice echoed "You never back down with Heero and never break eye contact. He'll prey on you after that."

Heero's eyes widening when Quatre glared as the water crashed upon him, setting Heero with a dark gleam through the dingy wetness plastering his bangs to his forehead and dripping off the bottom of his open lips, set in a winded expression. He looked more pissed than anything.

Duo whooped, eyes wide and screaming in jubilation, "Blondie's Got BALLS!" He called, grinning wide.

Heero raised his brow. He hadn't cowered. Surprising. Maybe what Trowa said about him was true.

"I can do this. Face it. I'm the only one smaller than a barn in this group. And I already know some of what is going on. I got an idea of what I'm getting into and I volunteer of my own will." Quatre said quietly, but surprisingly fierce, the water soaking him and sending waves of shivers and cold through his body enough to piss him off enough to be so bold. He hated the cold. And he hated being wet and cold even more. And now he was. And it was Heero's fault.

"Blondie's got Balls!" Duo sang louder, wringing a hand around Quatre's wet shivering shoulders and swinging him around once.

"I'm not taking responsibility for him." Heero bit indignant. He was still shocked. He had really expected the blonde to cower.

"I said I would." Trowa's soft but firm voice repeated.

Everyone looked to Heero, knowing it was his call in the end, dominance conflict be damned.

Glaring at his boyfriend's arm around the blonde's neck still, he narrowed his eyes and began to snarl.

Turning on his heels, he spun to Trowa, his fierce glare directed at his best friend since middle school, "He's your responsibility," He ground out, pointing his finger into Trowa's chest. "He stays in your boat. Under your care. And when he screws up, and gets us all killed, it'll be on YOUR head, Barton." He punctuated the last piece with a final push and stalked off.

"Whooo. He's PISSED!" Duo muttered under his breath, still fairly attached to Quatre's neck. "Don't talk to him for a bit, K? You may not have legs to walk on after. Better yet, don't even LOOK at him for a while." Duo laid a huge smooch on Quatre's astounded cheek and galloped off to Heero who was violently packing the gear.

Great. Now he had pissed of the leader. And hell, it looked like Heero could break him in two with one look!

And then, an even more shocking and disturbing thought struck him: In his quest to help Jane and the others, he had sighed himself up for even more of this Wilderness stuff.

"WHY!" Inner-Quatre wailed.

Trowa smiled to Quatre warmly, "Don't worry about Heero. He's under a lot of stress right now. He's really a good guy once he gets to like you. And until he sees what a wonderful person you are, I'll protect you." Trowa winked playfully to him.

Trowa ghosted fingers along Quatre's neck and shoulder, resting on the wet shirt.

Frowning at the shivers under his hand, he thought for a second and began to grasp and pull at his back. Grabbing the hem of his tight fitting leefa he rolled the clinging heat recycling and sweat absorbing shirt up and over his head.

Quatre had to stifle a moan at the hard rippling abs right in front of his hungry eyes and just about missed the thrown garment. Trowa was built like a gymnast with a wall of upper body muscle and subtle, tight, and graceful legs.

"It'll keep you incredibly warm. I can tell you don't like the cold. It fits like a second skin. You just might fall in love with it." Trowa explained, standing before him wearing only his slightly low hanging water-proof navy blue pants. God, he was gorgeous.

Finally coming to his senses, Quatre tried to give it back. But Trowa would have nothing of it, walking away telling him to get out of his wet shirt, and pack for the canoe.

Blinking at his retreating form, watching his taught back ripple and that curve towards his amazing ass sway as he stooped down to ruffle through his pack and pullout a short-sleeved sweater, Quatre was again woken by a voice.

"We need to pack, Quatre, and now. Heero hates leaving late." Wufei gently prodded him, a smirk on his face.

"I'm already packed." Quatre answered, fascinated with Trowa's sleek rippling arm muscles working to haul the heavier luggage and only absently even hearing his friend.

Wufei cocked his head sideways, his hips matching the look and smirked as his once perfectly slicked hair fell in smirking face. "A canoe can't hold even a quarter of the weight the raft could. I'll go through your stuff with you."

"The first thing we do is get you out of those way too big clothes. They're a hazard."

Quatre's look turned skeptical. Yeah, get him out of his clothes. Whatever.

"You could get caught on something and lots of material absorbs lots of water. And lots of water on your clothes means more weight to carry around and paddle with and puddles of cold to shiver in." Wufei dragged out.

Oh. Well, that sounded logical.

Following Wufei's fast-paced stride to dig through the gear and find their packs, Wufei hauled the two out, up, and down in a loud pluthunk.

Trowa climbed into the canoe. Treize was positioned in back for steering, Trowa in front for the power paddling.

Heero and Duo were loading the last of their gear when Wufei and Quatre emerged from the bustle of the tour group.

Wufei stood, purposely looking OVER Treize. Of course he was in his sleeveless black belly-top with the tie neck and the white low riders. Trowa figured it was probably to make sure Treize realized everything he was missing by being a bastard. Although, Trowa was sure he hadn't done anything. If Treize had been less high and dedicated gentry perhaps he would've just laughed and left Lady Une sprawled on the stairs like any one else in his position would've and that would've been the end of this little quarrel. Smirking at the thought, Trowa moved his eyes away from Wufei.

Trowa's blood boiled at seeing the little blonde behind him.

Quatre had put on Trowa's leefa, which, of course, clung like a second skin to the lean, willowy blonde, the black and indigo coloring contrasting with his pale skin, the shirt leaving nothing, yet way-too-much, to the imagination.

The leefa was made for paddling, covering his collar, but open in the arms for movement. And he was sure it Wufei's doing that around Quatre's exposed bicep was a thick black belt, a few carabineers and other outdoor tools hanging like gypsy jewelry off the smiling angel. And the fact that it was Trowa's clothes he wore made his male possessive urge do cartwheels in appreciation.

Duo gave a cat call, whistling low and smirking as Quatre turned scarlet.

Okay. He'd have to thank Wufei. Then KILL HIM!

Heero glared at Quatre as Wufei had to help him into the canoe, holding it until Quatre had settled behind the middlebar and between bags of gear. Quatre gulped, feeling Heero's undisguised hate and tried to focus on what eh had to do. He dipped his paddle in, slowly following Trowa's lead, and crossed his fingers for some luck.


	14. Rain

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! But this one, _**

**This Chapter 13 is a NEW CHAPTER**

Chapter Thirteen: Rain 

Dip in and pull. Dip in and pull.

Quatre mussed they'd be singing one of those prison work songs soon.

"Look Down. Look Down. Don't look 'em in the eye!" Duo, voice deep and mocking started to sing from the canoe in front of Trowa, Treize, and Quatre's. Quatre couldn't believe someone else had been thinking the same thing, let along sing "les miserables"! Perhaps Duo was a guy worth getting to know, after all.

Quatre didn't hate the trip too bad. Actually, he liked it just fine. The air was crisp, but he wasn't cold. The water was ice blue and tumbling upon itself, and everywhere he looked there were canopies of the most vivid greens. Every color and shape of tree and leaves seemed to be there for the watching.

It was pretty quiet in their canoe, neither Treize nor Trowa much for chatter, but every little while, he could hear Duo's loud voice float back to their canoe chipper and joyful. But, truthfully, Quatre much rathered this boat instead; Heero hated him with a passion! And Quatre espoused a great motto in situations like these: Don't Poke the Bear!

He set back in the smooth motions of the river, taking his turns paddling and enjoying the ride around him when he saw Heero lift his paddle in the air. High and probably dripping into his hair and face, Heero gave it a sharp angle, 90 degrees pointing towards the bank on the left side of the river.

Quatre couldn't remember actually ever stopping on that side of the river before, not that it seemed any different or anything.

Treize and Trowa reacted immediately, Trowa powering his paddle deep into the water and pulled hard and fast, the water spraying up when it broke the surface just to be pistoned back in seconds later. Quatre couldn't even keep up! Treize was keeping his paddling soft and the boat swung around and set deep into shore, the motion propelling the canoe deep into the silt at the bottom of the river.

Treize and Trowa dropped their paddles in the boat, practically hitting Quatre on either side and leapt over the side, the heavy sound of their boots in the water and sand followed by a massive splash.

Quatre got away from most of it, but he still was doused! Ready to tell them off, the shivers already coming, Quatre was thrown off balance as, one hand on each side, Treize and Trowa pulled the canoe half onto the dry sand in record lightning speed. More than necessary in Quatre's opinion.

"Get out of the damn boat, you blonde imbecile. You're taking up time!" Heero yelled, scaring Quatre out of his stupor rather awkwardly.

Quatre began to scramble out of the canoe, saw the water he couldn't avoid jumping straight into, and hesitated.

Trowa smiled lightly to himself, and splashed over to him, gracefully lifting Quatre from the boat and moving him the two feet over to completely dry sand.

A little smile, then Trowa was back to being Speedy Gonzalez and wrenching the boat up and out of the water and practically jogging to get it under a shallow rock overhang beside Heero, Duo, and Wufei's boat.

Trowa walked over to the stunned blonde and gave him an apologetic smile. Looking to Duo, Heero, and Treize heaping fallen branches in front of the make-shift garage, Trowa explained "We need to keep our boats out of sight. You know people are looking for us. We've lost boats before and so have many others. We can't afford to lose them again. I should've warned you."

Rushing past, Heero glared homicidally and shouldered Quatre roughly towards the river. "Don't apologize for his stupidity. I told you he shouldn't be here if he can't take a little god damned water."

Warm arms caught him and held him close, "Don't listen to him. Heero's a prick right now." Trowa reassured him, rubbing his worn calloused hands over Quatre's pale shoulders comfortably. Every doubt about being there vanished from Quatre's mind in Trowa's arms and he sighed with contentment.

But, Quatre still felt miserable inside. He wasn't used to having friends, but he hated having enemies. He would've liked to leave on a happy note, if he possibly could, even if it meant a few bruises on his part.

As Wufei shrugged into his own pack he offered Quatre his as the rest began to don theirs. A bit confused, Quatre followed along and shouldered the big heavy thing. Once he had to hold it himself he was eternally grateful his father had insisted on the campers outdoors-y special expensive all-purpose thingy-ma-bob pack.

And more importantly, that the clerk took pity on him and put the right size of pack in with their purchases. Quatre father had insisted that his son would use the manly-size one he would have been falling over with right now. Thank you store clerk!

The six of them began into the woods, Treize and Duo in the lead, and Heero right behind.

Quatre leaned over to Wufei, who was hiking just in front of Quatre, hurrying to catch up. "Where are we going?" He whispered.

"To the caves." Heero answered cold. Quatre was taken aback, wondering if along with his radar hearing he had X-ray vision and spider senses.

Knowing they were close to evening, and they wouldn't be trekking this far in without a reason, Quatre couldn't resist, "Why?"

Heero snapped his head around and glared daggers, Quatre wishing he hadn't said anything. "We are looking for something." He ground out bitterly, his look obvious he wished Quatre would curl up and die. Preferable now.

Filled with a deep embarrassment that he had to endure this with Trowa and everyone watching, Quatre burned. "I can't help if you won't tell me what you are looking for." Quatre steamed, finally letting out some of the pent up frustration.

He knew he wasn't good at these things. He didn't need his nose rubbed in it. And it really was the only way to help Jane!

Heero was giving him the snooty over the nose look that had Quatre bursting with frustration.

"I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere. I can help, but not if you keep up with these games." Quatre strode up to Heero, glaring right back at him, although he figured he was about as intimidating as a kitten, he didn't necessarily care at the moment.

Heero's lip twisted and he snarled low. Quatre knew he was about to get throttled now. He really shouldn't have said anything!

"We are looking for a bat." Duo cut in, taking Heero's shoulder and cutting in front, putting himself between his seething boyfriend and the trembling blonde.

"The Virginia Big Eared bat, to be precise." Wufei continued, he and the rest having joined the little gathering and continuing to walk.

"But we are in North Carolina?" Quatre asked, before he could shut his big mouth. While talking to Wufei, he kept forgetting Attila-the-Heero was there.

"You're sharp, Cat!" Duo cut in, smiling brightly and chewing loudly on a stick of gum he got from god knows where.

"The Virginia Big Eared bat is an endangered species, even in Virginia. There aren't many around there now. And to find them living here in N.C. is a miracle. So, when Trowa here found one, we knew we had a way to save our forest." Duo strode next to Quatre.

"This side of the river is, was, owned by the government. It was a national park. There are some nice trees and flowers and stuff. But they began to plant them in other parks around the country and now they aren't as endangered anymore. With budget cuts and all that, they sold this side of the river. As of the end of this month. Just so happens a mining company bought it," Duo's face soured, "A strip mining company. Libra inc. They're tearing the soil out from under the forest."

"What about the other side of the river?"

"That's owned by the Wilderness trips company and a few private hunters and loggers and such renting the company land. Its fine, and Pop can handle it just fine. But when the company destroys the other side, who's going to want to come here?" Duo said.

"Your, Pop?"

"Yeah, Well, My uncle actually, but he raised me for the last couple of years. He owns the Wilderness Tours Company." Duo said proudly.

"But they want to destroy my forest." Trowa's voice cut the two way conversation hostilely.

"I've only been ranger here for the summer, but I refuse to let them tear up my forest. Before my father rose up in ranks in the army, I had never left Deltaware. Deltaware Ontario, I'm from the population 2,000 kind of town in the Canadian shield with nothing but a plastics factory and a mostly self contained air force base on the edge."

"I leaned how to climb and hike there, and when I heard about this program I jumped at the chance. Between senior year and collage I was eligible for the job. They sent me out to be a Youth Ranger at this state park. I made a lot of friends, and got reacquainted with old friends. This forest has done so much for me; I'm already attached to it. I can't just let them destroy it. That's why we have to stop this." Trowa finished.

Quatre felt his heart warm. That was so--so a Trowa thing to say! Damn he was falling hard and fast!

They continued on in silence, turning from a rough trail to the brush, trekking into the uneven and grassy terrain. Quatre tripped and stumbled and jumped along, weaving through trees and moss and fallen logs trying almost hopelessly to catch up to the group. He was faced with a hill over his head, and while the rest seemed to take it in two steps he was huffing and bumbling and grasping onto anything to help him up.

He made it up fine, but he was starting to think Heero was right.

He was slow and new to this stuff. Wufei was right up front with the rest, and he knew for a fact Trowa was walking slower just to make Quatre feel better. Bless him, but damn him! He had said he was NO good at these things and now he really was slowing them down!

The trees came thicker and denser and Quatre was having even more trouble. But so was everyone else. He was actually catching up with the rest of the group now.

Quatre's foot sank deep into a rabbit burrow and he pitched forward. Right into Heero.

Turning around and growling as Quatre straightened himself, Heero stood back up and eyes fierce as he brutally pushed. Quatre fell back, grasping for something to break his fall from the surprise attack (although it shouldn't have).

A hard muscled chest and strong arms caught him. Quatre was sure Trowa was the only one who wanted him there. He really should just leave. But. The man behind him was a little too tall, and Trowa was wearing a wooly navy blue pull over, he was sure.

"Heero Yuy. We've endured your rudeness and disrespect long enough. Quatre has not done anything to deserve your condescending attitude save try to help his friends and put himself in harms way to help strangers. We've had enough." The chest behind him rumbled in restrained anger, and Quatre was incredibly surprised to look up to find Treize glaring at Heero like a father to a misbehaving son and holding him upright. It was Treize who had caught him, not Trowa.

Chided, Heero clenched his jaw and abruptly turned, heading fast and deep into the dense trees continuing on the hike and not responding. Quatre caught Duo's apologetic smile, and thanked Treize before continuing the hike, feeling a lot better.

Trowa idled back at bit as they continued, coming along stride with Quatre. "Other than a pissy Heero, how are you liking the trip?"

Quatre smiled, and let his eyes travel up to gaze at the canopy of trees. Each leaf glowed a different shade of green, and each step danced light off the small growing things beneath his feet. In this calm walk, slower now that Treize took lead instead of Heero, Quatre felt the spirit of the outdoors wash over him for the first time really since this trip began, enjoying the tranquil warmth and the dim light. His answer was simple and true, "I love it."

Trowa smiled lightly, "I though you hated these, quote 'outdorsynessthingies'?"

Quatre smiled again lightly, enjoying the coolness of the day, he simply shrugged, eyes watching the trees overhead.

Unfortunately, he wasn't watching the trees below his feet, and one jumped out and caught him. Stumbling, he pitched forward slightly, but caught himself in time, with a little help from Trowa, who grabbed his wrist.

"Be careful there, you can daydream, but watch the path as well." He said with a smile, his hand still on his wrist slowly crept down to entwine their two hands.

Quatre looked up, catching the blush on Trowa's cheek before he turned away, hands still locked together.

Shivers ran down his spine, and not just from the sudden cool wind blowing. Quatre could feel a whole parade of butterflies running three-legged races around his stomach and a giddy feeling wash over him.

So, now he could see it. Trowa had the guts to flirt around verbally, but was shy when it came to actually doing the romantic stuff. Quatre couldn't stop the gigantic grin lighting his face, HOW CUTE!

"Crap." Duo cursed from ahead of them, "We've still got another ten, fifteen, to the caves. Damn. Damn, double dog damn!"

Confused, Quatre was about to ask what he was referring to so respectfully, when a small wet drop landed on the tip of his nose. Then another on his cheek. Then another and another.

In the period of a minute, the sky went dark and Quatre was dodging canopy to canopy to try and escape the buckets being poured down onto them, the sky had opened up and let a wave fall. Water dripped off everyone. They didn't really even bother to quicken their pace or find shelter. The nutters just kept walking!

Quatre began shivering, the wetness plastering his bangs to his face and the drone of cold, wet pellets hitting him drowned out any other forest sounds. It was really cold now.

Quatre clung his arms around his chest, Trowa's leefa was living up to it's guarantee to keep you warm, but wouldn't for long; it was soaking up the rain like crazy, just as it was supposed to do, but from the inside not the out. Even his socks were making squishy sounds as he walked.

Why did it have to pour down now!

And why wasn't anyone hurrying! He could see their clothes were as wet as his and their hair was flat against their scalps, Treize would be mad, his was all over the place, and yet, they still just sauntered on! But, hey, who cared anyway. It was just pouring rain.

But he knew if he said anything, Heero would go ballistic on him again. He'd rather freeze to death than face that right now, thank you very much.

He spolshed, and sunk, and squished along, waiting for their trek to end. He was starting to feel numb in his exposed arms and his thighs had stopped protesting to the cold in a way that worried him. The water retaining-to-conserve-heat shirt had sucked up every drop and was plastered to his ribs. He should have worn the water-proof nylon coat like Wufei had told him too, the scratchy sound and too-large arms be damned.

At least his legs were still moving. He couldn't stop his teeth from chattering, and his entire body shook and jittered, but he carried on.

"Holy Shit. Cat, your lips are blue." Wufei exclaimed, turning to face him and wrapping his really nice and warm arms around him.

"Why didn't you say something?" Wufei whispered, his lips at Quatre's ears as he hugged him close, his body heat radiating through his back as they continued to walk, although Quatre could swear that they had started moving faster.

"I d-d-didn't want t-to up-p-set anyone." Quatre quaked out. He hadn't realized how bad his shivers were until he tried to speak.

"We're almost there, Cat. Alright. Just a few more minutes." Wufei cooed into his ears, appalled at the cold from his friend's skin.

He hadn't realized just how quick the cold effected Quatre until he held him. Even his cheeks and arms felt almost dead cold. Wufei was just as soaked, but he wasn't even a quarter frozen as Quatre was. He had said he didn't like the cold, but holy man, Wufei had never seen anyone turn so blue so fast.

"I'm sorry Cat" Wufei said. He blamed himself, of course, "If I hadn't been so wrapped up in hating Trey, I would've noticed sooner. I'll try to be a better friend."

Wufei still thought they were friends? Quatre was enthralled! He had never had a friend that went to such lengths to protect him.

"Where ar-are we go-ing?" Quatre trembled out. Damn, it, couldn't his voice stay still for one second! Just one!

Before Wufei could answer, Duo hoped for joy, "There she is!"

And true enough, a few steps later, the trees cleared to show a huge gapping blackness, stretched out like an ogre yawn.

"Ain't she beautiful!" Duo sang, running into the blackness he seemed to think, in his little crazy-person mind, was welcoming.

"Come on, get in out of the rain!" Duo motioned with wild flailing arms, swinging wet droplets from his clothes all around the cave floor.

Quatre liked the rain better.


	15. Rage

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

_**BRAND NEW CHAPTER**_

Chapter Fourteen: Rage 

With Wufei's guiding, which was actually fairly strong, Quatre realized when he tried to avoid the menacing looking cave, he was dragged into the inky blackness.

For something everyone else was treating like a gift, Quatre was ready to give it back and leave the party!

Sounds of rustling echoed around the opening, the rain's drone bounced around in his ears drowning out whatever Wufei was saying, and the only thing Quatre could discern was that right in front of him was outside. And right behind him was more than likely certain doom, death, and destruction, and DOOOOOOMM!

But it was dry.

Rolling Trowa's leefa off, he began to pour the collected water onto the cave floor, a nice little pond for the cave dwelling gremlins to play in. With one twist the staccato beat of the water pouring from Quatre's shirt blended into the pour of the rain outside.

At least it was mostly dry now, and Quatre rolled it back on, shivering from the chill, but feeling it take the wet from his skin quickly as it was designed to.

Click. A beacon illuminated Duo's hands and the brightness surged through the blackness around them. Unfortunately, Quatre would've liked it to light it all up, not just streams by their feet.

A RAT! A rat just scampered by his feet! He wanted to go back outside NOW! All eyes turned towards Quatre who was jumping franticly back and starring ghostly down to the floor.

"Quatre?" Trowa asked concerned.

Finding the source of the voice, a torso of Trowa floating in the blackness, Quatre jumped towards him and clung to his shoulder. "A rat just ran by me." He explained in the squeaky petrified tone of a woman found standing on a kitchen chair.

Quatre burrowed into Trowa's back, only his eyes peeking out from behind Trowa's broad, strong shoulders. He liked those shoulders. A lot.

"Quatre." Wufei said, his tone skeptical and about to be mean, Quatre was sure. "You are too cute." He finished with a shake of his head and a chuckle. At least he hadn't made fun of him. It was actually kind of a compliment. He thought.

"Keep your bitch on a leash, Barton." Heero snared, his eyes cold and lip twisted.

Trowa began to growl, eyes narrowing. Trowa was beginning to lose his patience with Heero damn quick like.

Duo jumped around, the light flashing all over and sending flickering light to the walls around them.

"Shall we begin our search?" Duo asked, trying his damndest to thwart the blood bath about to ensue. He knew well enough that once the two of them got started neither would stop until they were both unconscious.

Everyone except Quatre was pulling out flashlights. So following the crowd, and thankful Wufei and had made sure Quatre knew where his was, he took out his flashlight too.

"Pair off and meet in the center cavern in one hour." Heero dictated.

"I refuse to pair off with Mr. Kushrenada." Wufei declared pointedly.

Treize looked depressed. Heero looked ready to kill. "I don't give a-"

"I'll go with Wufei!" Duo jumped in, happily bounding over to grasp Wufei's arm in his, again stopping a Heero-splosion.

"Get off, Maxwell." Wufei tried to shake him off.

"That's alright, I'll accompany Wufei." Trowa piped in, trying to appease Heero.

"Not over my Dead Body, Barton. Quatre stays with you, he's your responsibility. Remember? You clean up after him." Heero growled.

It was a battle of glares like none had ever seen before. (Well, Quatre had never seen anything like it before, and he hoped small children had never been witness before, either)

"I'm going ALONE." Wufei spat, wrenching Duo off his arm and trudged deep into one of the tunnels to the left.

"Heero, you and I will go with Wufei. Treize, Trowa, and Quatre go to the right. There are too many ways to get lost in here. Meet back in one hour." Duo said, incredibly serious for his nature.

Quatre gulped, looking around at the now even more menacing walls creeping into the flashlight beam.

Before he could bump into one of them, Trowa wrapped an arm around Quatre's waist and pulled him to his side. "Don't worry. We have the simple path. It's a circle on this side. It just opens right back up in the center. We'll be there in about half an hour."

They began to walk, Trowa and Treize shinning flashlights up quickly at the empty ceilings stories above them. It had only taken a second, but Quatre figured out they were looking for bats roosting. The Virginia Big Eared bat roosting, to be precise.

Quatre kept looking for any winged rats, but mostly to make sure none flew in his face, he wouldn't recognize if it had big ears or not. Just big teeth.

"I'm sorry about all of this…" Trieze breathed out after a while of silent watching.

"Wufei just doesn't believe me. I didn't mean to hurt him, honestly. If he'd just talk to me, I could explain." Treize shook his head, and tried to swish back his hopelessly messed hair.

"I'm sure he just needs some time to cool down, Trey." Trowa tried to reassure his friend, although he didn't really even believe himself. He'd never seen Wufei that mad, and from what he heard, Wufei held grudges.

"Haven't you heard him? He still won't even call me Trey!"

"Yes, he does." Quatre said. Then decided he should've kept his mouth closed when two sets of curious eyes darted to him.

After a gulp, Quatre tried to explain, "When he was talking to me earlier today, he said "I was too caught up hating Trey that I wasn't being a good friend, or something like that."

"He said he hated me?"

Oh shoot. He shouldn't have said anything.

"Well, at least he's acknowledging I'm alive. For him to say he hates me is actually a step up from how pissed he was before. That means he's getting better. Thank God! Maybe he'll start arguing with me again!"

The joy was not what he was expecting.

Obviously his confusion showed, because Treize began to explain.

"When I met Wufei, Duo had convinced him to join him and a group of friends to go to some stupid historical action movie. Afterward, we began to argue the faults of it, I said it was a good movie because it had the events made entertaining and he saying it was horrible because the events were distorted. Again and again, every time we met up we got into an argument that ended with someone breaking us apart before it came to blows.

"When we had seen each other a few times, he started arguing with me over the "injustice' of proms, which I told him my school was putting on. I caught him in a loop and convinced him to go with me."

Trowa began to chuckle, remembering the story.

Treize smiled warmly, "We ended up being asked to leave, our arguing was disturbing everyone at our table. We left and he told me he hated me. I told him there was a thin line between love and hate and then he kissed me. I kissed back, and the rest is history. For him to say he hates me, means he is starting to come around to being ready to talk to me again."

Quatre nodded dumbly, acutely aware that he was, in fact, in the presence of a madman.

Trowa pulled Quatre into his hip, and curled his hand around Quatre's shirt fabric, "Don't worry. I'm not twisted like them." He said and dipped his head in for a quick peck to Quatre cheek before letting go and taking a few steps back.

Quatre lifted a hand to the tingling in his cheeks and resisted the urge to grin insanely, for a second anyway.

He was right, Trowa was bold in speak one second, then shy in action the next.

Quatre would take the next initiative.

Coming to pace with Trowa, who refused his eyes, Quatre smiled and danced his fingers along the back of Trowa's hanging hand, grinning when Trowa took the hint and twined their fingers together again, holding his hand as they walked the cave.

It seemed that the cave turned from being the scariest place on earth, to the most comfortable and romantic setting he could've wished for.

They converged on the center cavern at the same time, surprisingly. But both teams were empty handed.

"It seems our bats have moved on for the night. We'll camp in here for tonight, head out on the river tomorrow. It's still pouring buckets out there, anyway. We wouldn't get far." Heero's voice directed. Heero seemed less hostile when addressing all as opposed to down right homicidal when he spoke to Quatre.

Duo began to flash his light around again, "There's a nice inlet over to the west of here. It has a cozy little nook we can get in so our fire will light the whole place and keep us cozy." Duo began to lead the way.

"How does he know that?" Quatre asked Trowa in a whisper. But of course, it was a cave. Everything echoed.

"Because, I pick my team carefully. Everyone on this team has a specialty in these woods. Except you." Heero chided meanly.

Duo seemed to glare at Heero, then breath deep, "I'm a renowned Spelunker. Which is the actual name for someone who knows and checks out caves. I didn't just make it up, even though it sounds like a word I would. Spelunk. Part of its charm. I know these caves down here better than the back of my hand."

"I already told you I'm a renowned Climber," Trowa said. "I've been invited all over the place and have climbed some of the largest mountains you've ever heard of. Right now I'm planning my second visit to K2. I had to cut short the first one because of weather. I've been asked to join the Olympic climbing team, but this forest is my baby. I can climb anything she's got."

"I know all the trails and cuts in these woods better than anybody," Treize hopped in his turn, "My specialty is hiking. I'm also the one who can tell you what each plant is and what they can be used for. Don't eat anything unless I tell you too. I'm also a licensed paramedic, if you remember."

"I'm not incredible at anything, but I am getting to be a very good paddler," Wufei added, "And I have a pretty good knack for knowing wildlife. I was invited to join, but I couldn't because I already told my father I would join him for the trip. He was looking forward to this trip for so long. And SOMEONE was in a snit to leave right away, and wouldn't wait." And, who would have thought, that snippy comment was directed to the one and only Heero Yuy; currently ignoring those around him to drop his pack to the cave floor and start to rummage through it.

Wufei huffed lightly and flopped down to the cave floor and dropped his pack as well.

"Just to complete the briefing, Heero survived class five rapids!" Duo explained, a huge grin boasting like Quatre should have been amazed or something.

"Class Four is incredibly difficult and deadly. Almost suicide. It's illegal to cross a class five. Only a handful have ever survived." Trowa explained, his voice a soft whisper and breath warm as it tickled his ear.

"Well, we're in the dark anyway and away from the elements, we might as well set up for bed, we won't get anything else done tonight." Duo said, making a big production out of yawning and flopping onto Heero's sleeping bag.

Quatre turned, deciding he should unroll his sleeping bag as well, to see his little sky blue bed all set up beside where Trowa knelt, unrolling his own green one.

"Thanks Trowa." Quatre said quietly. But again, of course, this WAS a cave and everything echoed!

"Now roll over and play dead." Heero mocked from the sleeping bag Duo was posed on top of.

Quatre felt his face redden and began to nibble on his lip. Why was Heero always so mean to him! He was trying just like everyone else! He hadn't even screwed up yet or anything!

"HEERO! STOP!" Duo growled from beside him. "We've all had enough." Sitting up defiantly and glaring for all he could to his boyfriend. Heero just rolled his eyes, ignoring his boyfriend's enraged expression.

"What has Quatre ever done to you! This goes WAY BEYOND just being pissed your plan was a little behind!" Duo sliced.

Secretly, Quatre was glad, he wanted some answers.

Heero's eyes narrowed, his back up and shoulders tensed. "I don't want him here. We don't need a repeat."

"What the Hell is THAT supposed to mean!"

"You don't see it? Lets put in it perspective then. One person who doesn't know what she's doing, put into a situation she can't handle, and someone else saying they can take care of the other. But no matter how much he watches over, the carabineer just wasn't shut right. Sounding familiar yet, Duo?" Heero snipped, now standing towering over him and close to snarling.

Duo's face paled, "Don't even go there, Heero." His voice was deadly quiet, more serious and cold than Quatre had ever heard someone. This was getting dangerous and everyone knew it.

Quatre felt his own fear building just looking at the monster Duo had become. He was scared. Damn scared.

Treize could smell the trouble brewing, he had to do something, "Alright everyone. Just simmer down. We're all a little worked up." He tried to reason.

"HOW COULD YOU TAKE HIS SIDE! This is an injustice! To Quatre, and to Duo." Wufei flared into the conversation, spitting fire.

Completely ignoring the mutiny and split around them, Heero continued without skipping a beat. "Oh, I will go there, Duo. Quatre has no business here, just like your mother had no business on the mountains either. Your father couldn't save her when things went wrong, and neither can Trowa. But I'll be damned if I let Trowa die too, just like him trying to save her!" Heero was shouting by now, his face lost his expressionless qualities to be replaced by a raging fire and blazing eyes.

Duo stood toe to toe with Heero and took on the cold expression Heero usually wore. Violet eyes flashed like fire and promising pain. Lots of pain. He was cold and pissed off beyond measure and raring to let him know. "Get. Out."

Heero flared, his teeth bared and practically growling. His hand gripped and gripped again, tensing as if he wanted more than anything to knock him through the roof.

Then, with his shoulders trembling with rage, he turned on his heels and ripped out of sight. Only his pounding steps screaming behind him as he was swallowed, the blackness of the cave following in his wake.

Duo slumped a little, letting his anger abate and his cold face turn to a twisted snarl not even the bravest soul wanted to get in the way of.

He stormed over to Heero and his sleeping bag, both their packs strewn over the rocky floor and kicked Heero's squarely, sending it flying into the cave wall. After kicking around everything in his path, Duo eventually slowed, starring at the sheer disaster around him; his and Heero's clothes lay around him, the deep crimson sleeping bag half over itself almost in a ball and the unpacked food and equipment underfoot and missing, probably also captive to the darkness.

Perhaps Heero would find it when he got back. But right then, Duo couldn't care less. How could Heero pull something like that!

Grabbing his jacket from the floor he balled it up and held it in his arms. "Treize, give me your coat. You too Trowa." He demanded, brooking no argument. None was given, and both threw their respective coats over, confusion etched onto their faces.

Duo threw Treize's coat to the ground , spreading it as long as it would go. Then he sat down and promptly rolled onto it, sticking his own balled coat under his head and Trowa's coat over him as a blanket.

He actually intended to sleep there.

"I refuse to share a bed with THAT man!" Duo snapped when he saw the confused looks everyone was giving him. As if he'd take any looks from them, of all people. Stupid losers anyway. Just like Heero. Stupid Jock, loser, idiot, prick! URG!

After a few moments of silence, Duo shuffled around, sniffled, shuffled again, and bit his lip. Quatre could tell he was fighting off tears.

"He shouldn't have said that about your family." Wufei said soothingly from his position as far away from the traitor his heart just wouldn't give up on.

Quatre just starred at his shoes. Nothing he could say would be comforting. He didn't even know what was really going on there.

He chanced a glance to Trowa, and felt his insides turn. Trowa looked stricken; his head cradled in his arms which rested on his tucked up knees, curled around himself.

Should he go over and see him? What would he say! Urg! Quatre felt so helpless in this situation!

A few seconds later, Trowa moved from his position and walked up to Duo's prone form.

Crouching to look at him as close to eye level he could get without laying on the floor with him, Trowa took a seat beside Duo and gently moved his bangs away from his red rimmed eyes.

"Duo… I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have… Quatre being here, and I said I'd take care of him, I…" Trowa's head was ducked down low in a gesture of defeat, his shoulders slumped and his voice trembling slightly, "Maybe Heero was right."

Quatre felt like a baseball nailed him in the gut. 'Maybe Heero was right', 'Maybe Heero was right'! How could Trowa say such a thing!

Wasn't HE the one who told Quatre he could do this. Wasn't he the one who said he was incredible when he set his mind to it!

All his life there was a hundred people saying he couldn't do it. Very seldom was there ever anyone who told him he could. Trowa said he could, and now… and NOW…

Quatre had heard words like that before, and they hurt. But from Trowa, it scalded. It didn't just hurt, it was traitorous!

HOW DARE HE!

"I know I can't climb mountains," Quatre yelled, startling everyone in the cave who hadn't even noticed his presence, let alone his betrayal.

"And I know I can't tell you what Berries to eat, or save people's lives!" he was shaking by now, his absolute rage stopping the tears from falling.

He would not show his friends his tears. He refused to show his underbelly. He refused to be put through this any longer!

"And I can't Splink, or spunt,"

"Spelunk." Duo filled in, in awe and shock at Quatre's anger.

"WHATEVER! I don't give a fuck! I may not be an expert paddler, or tree hugger. And I may not have any stake whatsoever in this forest. BUT I," He paused for breath, "I…" He yelled stronger than before.

"I...!" His breath ran ragged. He just couldn't.

With a gut wrenching swallow, he realized he didn't know what to say.

He couldn't DO ANYTHING! He had nothing to say to them all, who had merits filling their trophy cases. He had nothing. NOTHING.

Outrage, self-loathing, embarrassment, and all around anger swelled. He couldn't take it anymore.

He would not let them see him cry!

He turned on his heel, spinning faster than Heero had and stomped out of the light.

Once the dark surrounded him, he let his tears well and fall, cascading down his cheek as he began to run. Run away. Get out. Anywhere where they couldn't see him.

The moonlight silhouetted the mouth of the cave as he neared at breakneck speed, eager to get anywhere he could.

Breaking free, he splashed into the rain-soaked night, the trees ricocheting past his vision in streaks as he ran deeper and deeper. His legs pained and the ground slid and slicked under his feet, but he still ran. Just letting everything he had been bottling up come out through his pounding legs, pumping arms, and swelling, sobbing tears.

Eventually, he found a clearing, a thick fallen tree overlooking at the perfect height to see the splendor of the forest. And he fell onto it, gripping the slick sides, his body soaked to the bone. And he just clutched the branch and let the last of the torrent pass. Making his way to sit on it and just stare blankly, letting his mind be free of everything for a few blessed minutes of peace.


	16. Lilies

**Chapter Fifteen: Lilies**

Trowa stood wide eyed and shocked as Quatre's body was swallowed by the darkness of the cave and the steady pound of his feet gave way to rapid beats. He was running.

Because of him.

Trowa jumped up and began after him, trying his hardest to follow the sound of his feet. He turned a corner and found himself starring at a big empty wall. The running echoed off the walls, throwing the sound all over. Then, the sound stopped. He either stopped running or went outside.

Trowa had to find him. He didn't know where he was, he could get lost. Heero HAD BEEN RIGHT! Quatre shouldn't be here. He couldn't survive on his own!

Trowa tried to find his bearings in the dark cave. Only the small pen size flashlight he had on his belt illuminating the floor. Quatre didn't have anything like that, he knew!

After stumbling around a while, he found his way back to where they had camped out, and grabbed his real flashlight and stalked out towards the entrance. Quatre may have gone there. If he could have found it.

He got to the entrance and looked out. The rain pounded and the ground soaked up the moisture as best it could, but it was so much so fast, and it puddled and sploshed under the torrent, he couldn't make out a footstep for a puddle.

Quatre would be soaked in minutes. No Seconds, knowing him.

Trowa knew, some how, somewhere in his gut he KNEW Quatre was out there in that torrent.

But spanning around he saw trees fencing him in on all sides. The sheer size of the forest around him crushed in on him as he realized; he could be anywhere in there. He could have gone anywhere out there. The forest was massive. He would never find him!

Fear and dread welled up inside him, possibilities swirling in his head. There were bears in the forest. He could be lost, never to be found again, he didn't know the trails! This cave wasn't ON ANY TRAILS! There were people trying to kill them!

The sheer dread overwhelmed him, his head swimming. Finally, his knees gave out, and Trowa fell gracelessly to a heap at the mouth of the cave, unable to do anything else.

There were so many caves in the area, perhaps if Quatre saw him there, he would at least know he got the right cave. If he was looking.

He could have injured himself in his reckless flight and be lying somewhere hurt, unable to come back.

Oh God. Please God, No. Let him be safe. Please God! What had he gotten Quatre into?

Quatre's senses returned to let him enjoy the beautiful view before him. The rain began to subside, and all manner of wildlife began to emerge from hiding.

Quatre was still mad, but ready to return.

Leaning off the tree trunk, he realized he had to get back, soon. He was cold. And wet. Shivers assaulted his spine in torrents, their presence just becoming noticed. They had been there since he left, but he never gave mind to them until that very second. His mind had been too preoccupied at being pissed at the world to realize the world was having its way with his body.

His feet hurt and his hair was tangled to all bejessus. He was thoroughly soaked and shivering, his skin was more goose bumps than flat and, he just stepped in a mud puddle.

If people could see him now, they wouldn't believe the adorably pouting boy had just stormed out in a maddening state. Well, he had to go back some time. There was no time like the present. So, turning back towards the cave he began his trek.

In quick time, he reached the cave entrance. And there, curled up and looking forlornly out the opposite direction Quatre had come from, was Trowa, sitting crouched up just out of the drizzle. All in all, with his hair slightly dripping, body hunched over, eyes vainly searching the other side of the forest, he looked rather pathetic.

Just seeing him made his body tense. He had thought he let go of the anger. Just seeing Trowa sitting there just like that as if Quatre would jump at the chance to see him-- Ohhh it made his blood boil!

Squaring his shoulders and willing his shivers to stop in their quake, Quatre strolled up to the mouth of the cave, bold as brass and began to stalk right past Trowa.

"Quatre?" Trowa jumped up, startled. "Quatre! Thank God you're Okay… What happened?" Trowa leaped up from his vigil, bone and joints protesting the sudden movement loud enough Quatre heard it as he stalked past.

"Quatre…?" Trowa whispered, a bit clueless. But what else could someone expect, he was a male after all. And the jock-ish type. Why had he EVER liked him in the first place?

"I'm sorry, Quatre. I shouldn't have said that. You have shown us nothing but devotion, and you haven't done a single thing wrong. I was just upset because Duo-" Trowa had Hit the nail on the head as to his anger, but he was not ready to forgive him.

"Save it, Trowa." Quatre cut in steely, eyes cold. He was still pissed! Just the fact of how long he was holding the grudge spoke volumes of just how deep those words had cut him. The truth was, they had hurt a lot more than they should've. Quatre had never been so upset!

Trowa's mouth closed with an audibly click. The man's eyes dropping to the ground. And his posture drooped. He knew he was in trouble.

Quatre kept his eyes focused and clear. He wouldn't have any trick now. Not even Trowa looking so truly repentant.

"I'm just glad you somehow found your way back here. I was so worried you would get lost and hurt out there."

Quatre glared hard at the ranger in front of him, his rage welling inside of his like a pot reaching the boiling point.

"I have never gotten lost."

Eyed still deadly pinpricks and lips still curled into a near-snarl, Quatre stalked back into the cave, heading for the most direct route to the center cavern where his nice warm sleeping bag was.

Unfortunately, said sleeping bag was also stationed around the others.

Still pissed at everyone, including himself, but mostly Trowa, Quatre just wanted to grab his sleeping bag, move it as far away from Trowa as possible, curl up into a ball, and SLEEP! If no one spoke to him, the better it was.

He was still twisting out puddles from his shirt when he made it to the inlet they had set up camp in.

"Quatre? You're soaked! You must be frozen." Wufei was the first to chance coming near the Quatre-bear. Then, he tried to wrap his arms around the smaller teen to warm him.

Fuck THAT!

Quatre jabbed his shoulder out and swiped Wufei's hands away from him before he got to close. "Don't touch me." He growled. Obviously, Wufei thought he was the cuddly type of bear in this state. Nope. Sorry, Wrong. Try the ferocious, bite-your-head-off type bear.

Wufei put his hands up in a gesture of surrender and slowly backed away.

Oh Great!

Quatre was finally starting to feel emotions other than intense anger, and what it was happened to be was intense regret. Wufei had befriended him and was just trying to help and Quatre was being snappy with him. It was hard to stay happy all the time, but no one would like him if they saw him like this. Wufei would hate him now. He could see. They could all see. He wasn't the perfectly sweet little Quatre-angel all the time.

Wufei would be disgusted. Wufei would hate him. Everyone hated him. Even his own Father hated him!

Perhaps he could patch things up with Wufei if he acted right now. Painting on one of his best fake smiles, the ones he seemed to wear everyday, he turned to Wufei, "I'm sorry about that, Wufei…"

But Wufei was looking at him funny. With a smirk, he bent down and the next thing Quatre knew there was a soft, warm, fluffy thing thrown in his face.

"What the Fu-" Quatre sputtered before catching his words, and the falling projectile. He looked down into his hands to find the purple-grey sweater Wufei was always so fond of bunched in his hands.

Baffled, he looked to see Wufei smirking wickedly.

Grinning back, his foul mood abolished, Quatre shot the sweater back in favor of slumping into a swell of sleeping bag and making no qualms with showing how much he liked the fluffy softness as he curled into it and huggled it to death like a teddy bear. He missed his bear. His father wouldn't let him bring it.

Soft footfalls crept into the light and a sulking Trowa could be seen morosely skulking to his sleeping bag, avoiding eye contact.

Wufei raised his eyebrow at Trowa's expression and Quatre's obvious avoidance of even looking at him. Getting the idea, Wufei felt righteous fury and a twinge of revenge. "Quatre?" he started. Quatre nodded to Wufei, his tone playful instead of inquiring. "Men suck. All of them." Wufei declared, seeing another of the wronged in his midst.

Quatre blinked and was about to answer when he was beat to the punch.

"They need to be roasted over spits and have their toenails plucked out by BLIND PEOPLE! Us gay uke could procreate the species with the help of advanced technology and the plethora of woman who agree with us. All men are cruel, narcissistic bastards!"

Quatre turned to get a glimpse of Duo, still not moved from his cocoon of jackets on the cave floor, a puddle near his cheek and pieces of his braid twirled around his fingertips. He looked pitiful, just short of baling his eyes out, laying there in jackets instead of a bed.

"Duo, why aren't you in your sleeping bag?" Quatre asked sweetly.

"I refuse to sleep in the same bed as that-that- that MAN!" Duo hollered, his voice raising to a furious pitch as he jumped up to point accusingly at the poor unsuspecting sleeping bag laying in a heap after it was savagely thrown by the earlier tantrum.

It was then Quatre understood. It was a two man sleeping bag. He and Heero shared it. Duo was very mad at Heero (who still hadn't shown back up yet). He didn't have a bed if he wasn't sharing.

"Wufei, give me your sleeping bag." Quatre ordered, slinking from his own and unzipping it and throwing things around trying to clear space.

About to ask, Wufei caught that determined gleam of the little blonde and just handed his sleeping bag over without question.

Quatre unzipped it and began flipping it around and over, finding the zipper and matching the two pieces together. He zipped the two up to each other, both his and Wufei's sleeping bag making a much larger sleeping space than the single bags allowed and spread it out in the space he had cleared.

Smiling with accomplishment, Quatre looked up to see a cave full of confused faces. Only one dawned comprehension and a dashingly beautiful smile. Not that he was looking, because he refused to look at Trowa right now. The dick.

"Umm… Winner?"

Quatre shucked off his shoes and climbed in to the sleeping bag, "I call the middle!"

"What in the world…" Wufei still didn't get it. "What was wrong with us both sleeping separately?"

"He made room so Duo could sleep there as well. He's very kind and thoughtful that way." Trowa's calm lilt still sent pleasurable shivers down Quatre's spine. Even though he was still mad. He was, of course. He should be, still angry anyway, so of course he was mad. Trowa had--Why was he mad again?

OH! 'Maybe Heero was right.' Bastard. Trowa was sensitive to Duo's plight, how could he not know how much that hurt!

But when he felt a warm body move towards him and slide into the sleeping bag, he forgot the Trowa problem. It was Duo snuggling into the bed beside him, and pushing close to the side so there was plenty of room for Wufei. (Well, as much room as one could expect when two single sleeping bags were meant to fit three.)

"C'mon, Fei. Get that stick out of your ass and join the 'Pissed at our boyfriends' sleepover party. Just wait, we'll do each other's hair and have a pillow fight later." Duo coaxed, grabbing a fist full of Wufei's pant leg and pulling him down to Quatre's other side.

"God, Maxwell. You are an idiot." Wufei grumbled while doing as asked and sliding into the minimal space left. After everyone shifted, and tried to find some room, while NOT breaking the sleeping bags, they ended up the three of them, back to front, Duo practically hugging his new friend, and Quatre hugging Wufei in turn.

Surprising to Wufei, who figured this would be yet another night of sleeplessness and in a cramped uncomfortable sleeping bag to boot, he was asleep in minutes, the warmth of his two friends lulling him and keeping his bitter anger at bay for the nights sleep.

Warm. Comfy. Warm comfies. Warmness and comfortableness. Mmmmm.

Then another drip of icy cold water dropped on his cheek. Quatre wiggled his nose against the intrusion, and the drop rolled down over his nose and onto the pillow beneath him. But it wasn't quite a pillow. And why was he so warm? He tried to take a look around himself, but was confined, almost unable to move at all.

"Damn it. Stop wriggling all over the place." A sleepy grumbling scratchy morning voice from right behind his ear roared dully.

Quatre blinked, then grinned, his smile lighting up his entire face. He was in the sleeping bag with his friends. And that was why he felt so comfortable. But Duo was no where to be seen. He should have been right behind Quatre. And somehow, He and Wufei had also turned in the night so Wufei was huggling Quatre like the best teddy bear in the world.

Quatre, sleepy as he was, tried to get out of the bag to look for his friend, Wufei threatening as he did, and managed to half entangle himself, still hooked oddly into the zipper and Wufei's arm. He felt a warm chuckle and hands grab under his arms and pull him just a touch upwards and sideways at the same time, and he came free of the death trap.

Smiling brightly, he looked up into deep green amused eyes, "Thanks Trowa." He said happily. Then, as his anger flooded back, he scowled. "I could do it myself. But thanks anyway. Or did you think I wasn't capable of releasing myself form a damn sleeping bag." He cut icily. Trowa winced, visibly scorned again.

"I said I was sorry, Quatre. I didn't mean it. I really didn't." Trowa whispered, his voice filled with hurt.

Quatre's anger had dulled to only a dull ache now, and that voice, and those eyes, "Well. You should be. That really hurt, Trowa. You were the only one who honestly thought I could do it. Then… Then… Well. You should be sorry."

Trowa was about to mutter, will you ever forgive me, when he noticed Quatre had grabbed his forearm for leverage while he grabbed his shoe still in the entanglement. He was having contact with him he didn't need too. Was he forgiven?

Quatre took the shoe, smacked Trowa in the chest with it, then proceeded to grab his shoulder while hopping around to slid it on. Yep. It was forgiven, but as the shoe hit him, he knew, NOT forgotten.

Trowa just counted his lucky stars to get what he could. And Quatre talking to him again was just fine.

"Where's Duo?" Quatre asked, once he was straight and awake enough to notice the braided man was not slinking around the lighted area in the cave. Was it even morning? It sure was cold like morning, but they were inside a cave. It could have been 2am outside and he'd have no idea.

"Heero apologized profusely, got him flowers, and then asked it he'd go for a walk around the cave with him to talk. They've made up." Trowa explained, the last part on a cynical note.

Quatre cocked his head cutely, "How do you know they made up? Have they been back?"

Trowa coughed, blushing faintly, "Listen." He explained quietly.

Quatre, confused as only a blonde could be, listened carefully. He could only hear the wind breathing into the cave. Light pants of air. WHEN DID WIND CRY OUT "Heero!"?

Trowa figured he got it when Quatre's eyes went wide after a moan.

"Are they at it again?" Wufei grunted as a good morning. He slid out of the sleeping bag and groggily made him way over to Treize. He flopped down and started to rummage through his deep blue backpack, coming out with a baggy of coffee. He then lent over a very surprised Treize to give him a good morning kiss, before crawling over to a kettle and fire Quatre missed earlier and started to make some of the black brew.

"I don't think he realized he did that. Please don't tell him." Treize said after a few stunned minutes of silence where everyone starred at Wufei's drowsy back.

Quatre still open-mouthed starring, just nodded dumbly. Wufei took his coffee, the little plastic cup in hand, back to the sleeping bag, downed the thing then hit the pillow in the bag once again and was back to snoring under the mounds of stuffing once more.

Quatre blinked. Trowa shook his head, chuckling. "Give him about ten more minutes and he'll be up again. He hasn't figured out though how he wakes up with empty coffee cups beside him yet. He's done this every morning since I've met him." Trowa explained between chuckles.

Funny, Quatre had always woken up much later than Wufei before.

Once more loud shuddering cry echoed through the cave, Heero's name entangling from the call, and then the 'wind' stopped. Trowa and Treize both grumbling and putting their stuff away hurriedly.

"Better start packing. Heero'll be here soon and he likes to get moving as soon as possible." Treize grumbled, pulling himself from his sleeping bag and rolling it up in one fluid motion, the bag seaming to roll itself in the precise quick strokes of Treize's capable hands.

He decided they knew best and began packing, watching as, like clockwork, Wufei began to roll around in the sleeping bag, waking, and Heero strode into the clearing with a glowing happy Duo clutching his hand and then declared they were leaving as soon as the gear could be packed. Good thing they were almost done by then.

Greeting the bright sun shine was the best felling Quatre had ever experienced; he didn't realize just how much he missed that bright yellow ball until he was freezing inside a damp ugly dark cave for a while.

He stretched up to the big white fluffy clouds and light happy blue sky and smiled to the crisp air and just listened to the birds chirping in the trees. 'It's a beautiful morning' sang through his head. It was going to be a bright, sunshiny day, and he would be happy!

Starting into the forest towards the boats, practically skipping in his boots, he was stopped by a rough hand grabbing his collar and yanking him back. "Where they hell do you think you're off too? Stay near the group it you don't want to be left behind! We don't have time to search for you, Winner. Fuck. Barton, I told you to keep your bitch on a leash." Heero growled.

Quatre bristled, his good day gone. Quatre felt his anger swell again and this time, he rounded.

He starred Heero right into his cold blue eyes and glared back. "I'm no one's bitch, and I'm going to the boats. They are that way." Quatre extended his arm, finger pointing to the spot he knew they were in. The clearest path straight back to them.

Heero gave a cocky smirk and pulled out his compass as Duo held out the map. "Mr. Winner, I hate to inform you the boats are-" Heero cut dead as he pointed his arm based on his compasses readings the exact same way as Quatre, still standing, Arm extended in silent victory.

"Like I said. I'm going to the boats. Follow if you want." Quatre threw off contrite and started his way into the forest following his own sense of direction.

"Wow. Quatre's mad." Duo commented, smiling as the whole group ran to catch up to him.

"Must be on his rag." Heero cut, easily matching and surpassing Quatre's gait to once again take point position through the trees.

Quatre's anger rose to his face, coloring all the way back to his ears. Ready to bite back, Quatre swallowed it down. He really didn't want to get into it with a self-absorbed, higher-than-thou jack ass with a hero-complex!

They had gone jut a few minutes, Quatre just grudgingly following Heero's back with Duo prancing up to meet him from the few steps behind they were. Then with one more step, Heero parted some low hanging leaves and just stopped.

Quatre was ready to retort what the hell was his problem when he caught sight of Heero's face. Eyes wide and brimming with tears; all air wrenched from his lungs they stood overlooking the sight.

For acres and acres the forest was clear. There were no birds, no deer, no mice, no anything. The trees that had once stood majestic and proud were gone, leaving only fresh cut stumps and broken branches. On all sides of the box stood the next in line, the tall age-old pines and redwoods waiting to meet the same fate; Ominous by the backhoe parked menacingly towards the edge, its digging claw positioned above the waiting forest soil. "They are not supposed to be mining yet. Not yet." Duo's voice whispered, carried on the wind.

Heero, more shocked than anyone else it seemed, walked into the desolation. He stopped over a fallen log, its weight crushing a little flower.

Still shell shocked, Heero bent down and brought trembling fingers to dying luscious petals, gently lifting them into his palm. The tears he had been holding began to spill over, small rivers falling down his no-longer icy face.

Quatre's heart hammered in pain, just watching the proud leader turned to weak at the spectacle. Quatre saw Duo, also crying and Treize and Wufei in reverend silence. Trowa had turned away, and Quatre was pretty sure he was trying to dry his eyes as well.

He needed to do something. He didn't care if Heero was trying to kill him, he couldn't stand anything hurting like that. Quatre stepped into the field, devoid of life, and came to Heero's side. Quatre crouched down to meet him, Heero starring solemnly at the little flower in his hand.

"My mother was the first ranger for this area. This was her forest, and she loved it up until her death. We scattered her ashes here." Heero said quietly and deep, his heart pouring out its pain to anyone who would listen, "She loved these flowers. They're pretty common, but she used to say that the ones here were the most beautiful of all. I only got to see her during the holidays growing up, but I lived with her after I ran away from home. She was sick then, cancer, but she worked here taking care of "her" forest until the day she died." Tears poured onto the dead white petals in his hand. The little lily seeming to come alive through his tears, only to die once more when he crushed his fist around it, purposefully standing with his back rigid and cold.

"I won't let it be taken now." Heero said firm and hard, eyes locking with Quatre. "I won't let anything get in my way. We find that bat and tag it, prove they live here, and the government will have to declare it a nature preserve. Quatre, I just can't let anything happen to the forest."

Quatre felt his eyes brimming as well, heart empathizing and pulled Heero, ever cold and hard, into a hug. "I know I'm not good at these things, but Heero, I will do everything in my power to help you. I swear to God I will. I will put my life on line and do whatever it takes to do this. I may not be the best for the job, and I may not be the fastest or the strongest, but I will help however I can. I'm here now, so if you stop resisting me, maybe I can help."

Heero gently separated from Quatre's embrace and stood, collecting himself and drying his eyes.

"Virginia big eared bat. Easy to spot, it has ears much larger than any of the other bats in this area. Keep close and do as we say, and perhaps you'll survive." With the last bit, Heero smirked, just a bit, but it was the first time Heero had not been malicious or hurtful.

"And Duo was right, Quatre. You do have balls. Or are insane. Nothing else would've gotten you this far, you stupid blonde." Heero threw back, a smirk on his now composed face.

But Quatre knew a peace offering when he saw it, and smirked. "You call me insane, you psycho-freak, I'm not the one canoeing through class fives!" He smiled bright and continued towards the boats.

Trudging through the desolate section, they were back in the brush and back into the hike. Although the air felt a lot clearer and happier since Heero's apparent agreement with Quatre being there. He wasn't quite sure what he had done, but obviously it was the right thing.

Quatre was first to the cliff side and began to grab the brush and throw it aside, revealing the canoes still there and still ready. He would not let them down.

Quatre pulled with the rest of them and soaked his feet as he climbed into the boat. He would not let his friends down.

Grabbing a paddle, he dipped it in and out and in again, his arm aching and sweat dripping down his forehead to freeze on his burning skin. He would not let anything happen to their forest.

Through the day he fought. They maneuvered rapids, kicked the ass of white water and scarfed down energy bars for meals. But he did not stop. He wasn't attached the forest like the others. But he was attached to them.

He would fight this to keep them from pain. And he would fight to the death.


	17. Drop

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. _**

Summary: AU. 3x4. Stuck on a Wilderness vacation, Father 'toughening him up', a deadly coincidence brings a forest ranger and the trouble following him, into their group. Quatre will have to prove to everyone just what the nancy-boy can do.

**Chapter Sixteen: Drop**

Aching, sore muscles were finally given respite once it was too dark to tell the river from the sky. Quatre was glad the day was done, but his tiredness and soreness was a happily born pain. He hadn't ever worked like that before. His aches told him he had done a day's work. He had done something worthwhile and felt a warmness blooming through him at the thought. Sore and exhausted as he was, he couldn't wait to get up tomorrow and do it all over again.

Heero hadn't razzed him the whole day, he didn't even look his way; but that was a plus in his book. Quatre was starting to understand Treize's joy at having Wufei hate him. It was the same as having Heero ignore him. It was better than hatred. One step, but a step none the less!

The next morning, he woke to cooking bacon and, anxious to go, began to pack so he could eat and leave. Heero plopped a plate down beside his bag as he rolled it. The only thing he got from Heero was a "Come On, you girl. Get up, Winner" when he tripped over a badger hole while they were trying to search the caves. But the surprising part came when Heero walked over and actually grabbed him by the scruff of his coat and hauled him up with a grunt. But an amused grunt, not a condescending grunt. Quatre was ecstatic.

That night, they all settled into another cave and Duo amused them all with shadow puppets that were made grotesque by the cave walls and dripping water that slid down the side. Then they all went to bed again, Wufei's sleeping bag next to Trowa who was next to Treize. He was getting over it, Treize assured him. Wufei still refused to say his name.

On the third day of the trip for Quatre, (the other four's week and three quarters) the group started to distress over the lack of bat. They had found evidence the bat had once been in some of the places they had visited, Trowa, (he assumed was the resident animal expert, equal with Heero) had even said the bat had been there the day before by the left over stuff. The day before! But they still hadn't found one.

Muscles protesting and legs burning, Quatre and Heero carried a canoe, holding the sides so the big aluminum thing was over their heads. You had to balance the height, and surprising to the group present, Quatre was actually closer in height to Heero than Duo was, and Wufei and Duo carried perfectly. Treize, being the expert at the forest trails and such, guided with the portieres following his heels. Trowa, now canoe-less, was carrying all the surplus packs that the others were able to con him into carrying.

Since Heero and Quatre were leading with a huge metal hat, they were front and center, being pelted with the worst of the brush and snapping it off before the other three got to it. And they got to find the pit holes and craters in the floor so the others didn't trip on them. Joy.

Quatre didn't understand why they had to portage this stretch. The rapids didn't look that bad. He wasn't sure why they were classified as Fives, he thought it rather silly. But even Heero-the-infallible had no problem with carrying the canoes and gear to the next put in point. Heero said there were no caves around to check, so they had to get to the next spot the fastest to catch up to their prey ("Hopefully", Wufei muttered, pulling twigs from his hair).

They trudged rather slowly, the canoes hindering their progress. But worst was the rocky terrain; it was slippery under last fall's decayed leaves and slick with the spring snow runoff. Even Trowa lost his footing a few times. So the fact that Quatre slid on his ass and got knocked by the canoe on the head for his efforts didn't faze him, or the others, for that matter.

Right after, before they could even start to laugh at his misfortune, Duo slid right out from under the canoe he and Wufei carried and slid halfway down the rocky slope on his ass before hitting a tree and hanging on to stop himself. Oh yes. It was fun to laugh at someone else for a change. And he also noticed, that despite their laughter, it was a different kind of laughter. Friendly laughter. Duo was laughing as well. And it was understood that anyone could have done the same and would be laughed at just the same. It was refreshing for Quatre who had always been laughed AT.

Treize made his way up another hilly incline, the leaves littering the ground sliding out from under steps to reveal... Rocks! Who'd a thought! But this incline was more of a cliff. Extra caution was needed. To the side off the ridge was a drop eight times their height. It made Quatre nervous just to know they were up that high.

He didn't want to admit it, but this trip was bringing his fear of heights into sharp relief. And he didn't like the results. Treize had to step lightly and was careful to judge the best route they could all take up this one. The last one they had to turn around because Duo and Fei's canoe got caught in the tree branches, hence why they were close enough that Quatre realized there was a ledge. He had been blessedly oblivious before!

Taking a wobbly step onto the rock, leaves immediately giving under his weight and sliding off the smooth hard surface, Quatre felt his nerves go on edge. It was called 'Rock hard' for a reason. And he didn't have a good feeling about this exactly.

Then, Quatre stepped again and his stomach pitched upwards and he felt nothing but air under him. Terror gripped his throat as his back and shoulder slammed down onto the grey slippery hardness.

The cutting pain was nothing compared to the uncontrollable terror of the force pushing him towards the side of the rock, gaining speed as he neared the huge drop on the edge. He couldn't even get a grip and each kick and grab he made to slow his terrific pace left him with bunches of slimy leaves piling on his hands and arms, speeding him up even more.

He could hear canoes dropping and his name shouted, but he was sliding for the edge too quickly for any efforts to be of any help.

Digging his heels into the rock painfully to try and grasp something, anything, to slow him, small cracks that jarred his locked knees sent him skidding off to the side and twisting uncontrollably.

Suddenly there was nothing under him at all, a sick tearing sound and the stale stench of decayed air punching his lungs with their sour smell. Any remaining air was slammed from his body as he hit, a force enough to almost break his clattering jaw and enough to smash the pads of his hands so hard that his arms buckled under him to the shoulder. His body began to roll, skidding across the solid ground flopping like a rag doll.

The world was black, and became even darker as his body, starved for air, couldn't take anymore.

"Quatre!" he heard through watery ears. "QUATRE!" It screamed again, this time the sound was clearer as he woke and tried to calm his swarming head.

It was black all around him, so black he thought maybe he was crazy and he really hadn't opened his eyes at all. He tried to focus and saw a small shoot of light a few feet away, with the shadow of heads frantically moving around the entrance and sending the light dancing into his confused senses. Once he was sure he was seeing correctly, he tried to stand.

His whole body ached deeply, his shoulders especially, and his ribs. But he was able to move all his limbs, as sore as it was. He lifted himself to his quivery legs, stalking towards the light; the only thing he could make out in the surrounding darkness.

"CAT? Shit, I'm going down there!" Trowa's voice called, frantic as one of the shadows braced against the shadow sides of the light.

"I'm Okay!" He rasped, but no one heard. "I'm OKAY!" He strangled out louder, his voice echoing all around him.

"Cat?" Trowa's voice shook in hope, Wufei and Duo shouting down questions franticly.

"I'm alright. All limbs here." Quatre finally made it to the light, letting the white brightness wash over him and bath him in light.

"Oh God. You look horrible. Are you okay? Can you get back up? Quatre?" That was Wufei, gripping the edge of the hole in the roof. Quatre realized he had probably made the hole with his kicking and flailing, and then fell into it. Talk about make you own bed and lie in it!

He was underground. It just donned on him. He was slowly recovering from his aches and was able to clearly take stock of his situation. He wasn't sure where he was. Heero had said there wasn't supposed to be any caves around the area. Looking around he could tell he was obviously in one.

And the roof was moving!

Little shining pin pricks opened, shifting and tapping. Quatre immediately stepped back, stumbling over some of the debris that fell in with him. He thudded back down onto his ass again and let out a startled shout that reverberated off the walls and ceiling.

Suddenly, the walls came alive, the sky fell on him in one sure rush and his ears burned with the high pitched call of thousands of screams.

Fluttering, clawing, hairy bats woke and panicked, taking haphazard flight. Hundreds of the winged beasts frantically targeted the hole above the intruder's head and made their break. Quatre was in the center of a hurricane; he couldn't do a thing, so he clamped his hands over his ears and tucked into his lap, trying to save his head from the worst of the bats slamming into the obstacle between them and the outside.

The group above flew backwards from the entrance as the black mass penetrated, spewing out hundreds of black winged creatures screeching and howling at each other and the world. Every one ducked as far down as they could go, Heero and Trowa trying to vain to distinguish one species from any of the others. But they were all just a frantic mass of fluttering, frightened bats.

After an agonizingly long time, the last of the screeches and howls calmed inside the cave. There were still a great many bats surrounding Quatre, but they seemed more intent on napping than attacking the stock still figure hunched in the brightness. Bats were night creatures, they didn't like the light.

Gasping breaths as quiet as he could, he tried to calm himself without moving much. The sound didn't make any bats fly, so he let himself breathe a little louder, then tried normal breath. He shuffled, moving his legs, then arms, untangling himself from his ball. Knowing he was being watched, Quatre starred up to the sky, catching the eye of Treize, who was frantically starring, and Quatre moved his arm up to wave, signaling he was alright. He could just hear some colorful swearing from above and figured someone (Duo, from the language) was hurt up there. Treize was the medic here, Quatre wanted to make sure he was where he was needed. His own aching limps were just sore, nothing broken, with a few cuts, nothing deadly.

He stood onto shaky legs and took a step into the darkness. His eyes had already begun to adjust, so it was easier for him to see around. The cave was sprawling, but short. The cavern he fell into seemed to be the biggest part of it, the roof was over four times his height and the hole just happened to be at the, like, highest frickan' point!

He had to find a nice walkable way out. He couldn't get out the same way he got in. He would NEVER go that high up even if it was against a wall with Trowa holding his hips and in a nice supposedly safe harness, (which he knew they didn't have, anyway). No way in HELL!

Once used to the darkness, he was able to take a good look up. There were a few bats, maybe a dozen or so huddled in corners, but nothing like the sheer wall of the creatures that had been.

But.

But there was another cavern off of the one he was in, and another shooting off from the opposite side. And there was another little archway, no higher than his waist, than ran into another cavity. He could hear something stirring, especially in the archway. He felt a wave of joy; it could be more bats, and maybe a Virginia Big eared!

Or. Then he filled with fear. Or it could be a hibernating bear, just waking up. Or a family of not-friendly raccoons bent on eating his flesh! OR it could be the lair of that evil squirrel eating fox! And the evil squirrel eating fox's evil squirrel eating family!

"Quatre?" It was Wufei's voice from the light.

Quatre walked, pushing down his urge to run in case he woke the bat-demons, to the hole in the roof. "Fei, there's more openings in here. I think their may be more bats. A lot more." He said slow and clear so he wouldn't have to raise his voice and frighten the spawns of Satan.

He heard a murmuring from above, some sort of debate. Then Heero's face was bathed in the light. "Be sure. Are their or aren't their more bats in there? If you can look, check to see if you can ID them." His voice was tight and strained. Obviously Heero was the voice of pessimism in the group.

Quatre nodded and took back to the shadows, deciding to look at the cavity to his left so that he wouldn't have to crawl hands and knees into the unknown borough of the evil squirrel eating foxes.

He quietly moved into the larger cavern, his heartbeat resounding in his ears. The entrance was relatively clear, but it was so far removed from the light of the hole that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. But the roof-- it moved. Just like the other cavern's roof had earlier, before the sky filled with the blackness of the winged beasts.

More bats? Oh, hell yes!

Quatre ran, well he walked quickly and quietly away. (They say madness is doing things the same way over and over and expecting different results. He was not mad. He learned, damn it!)

Back into the safety of the light, Quatre shivered under it, Heero watching. "There are defiantly more. A lot more. Hundreds of thousands. They're all sleeping on the roof. And that was just the one cavern." He spoke calmly, eloquently, and slowly.

"Cat, you have to calm down." Trowa called down, being very, very scared by that tone.

Back up top, Treize was wrapping Duo's arm that had been torn open by one of the shrieking bats flying away. Duo was sniffling up a storm to win his boyfriend's pity, but failing miserably since Heero was more interested in what was down that hole.

"Thought there weren't any caves around here, oh great spelunker." Treize taunted a pouting Duo.

"Well you know what. The worst is we don't have time to explore it proper! I need to get down there. My spelunker reputation is at stake to seek out new worlds and new civilizations. To boldly go where no spelunker has-"

"Shut up, Duo." Heero's voice was mean and Duo pouted, that had been totally uncalled- "Quatre is still down there and our loud voices may frighten the bats again. We can run. He can't."

Duo shut up immediately, a dark embarrassed flush covering his face.

"We have to go down there." Treize said calmly, putting away his medical supplies.

Heero nodded, "Just what about the canoe's and supplies? I don't think we can just bring them with us down there."

Duo chimed in, "If we leave them up here without us we should just leave a fucking calling card. 'Hi, were down inside this cave, come and pick us off one by one.' I don't think so."

"We have to get him up from there, or go down. We can't just leave him all alone in a huge cave alone and unprotected. We don't even know what's down there, Heero. There could be bears or poisonous snakes, and he doesn't even have any gear." Trowa demanded, piercing Heero with a glare and waiting for him to make some crack about Quatre's incompetence. He also knew that Quatre wouldn't know the difference between a real threat and a mouse, but he chose not to say that.

Heero nodded, "We don't know what's down there and being alone is incredibly dangerous, no matter how experienced you are." Heero responded, not catching the shock off Trowa's face because he was being fair to the blonde.

"Alright," Heero said, pulling everyone's attention to himself, including Quatre down below, "We need ideas."

"It sure sounds like another one of his crazy ideas." Whispered a blonde man that held more self love than smarts.

"Shut up, Alex." The recipient answered equally quiet. They had been caught whispering by their leader before: He threw them out of the boat for it.

"I'm serious, Brother. He had us attack that tourist group and almost get caught by them, for what? Nothing, that's what. If the stupid tree-hugging ranger gang hadn't been so worried about the tourists, like we were planning they wouldn't be, remember, they would have spotted us. They were right on top of us! We would've been dead ducks if his plan had gone like he wanted. We were out in the open just waiting. And you know psyco-jap is packing." Alex hissed to his brother.

Both eyed their leader, Nichol, who was blazing in front of them, leading them towards "an ambush those rangers will never expect."

But they were skeptical. Nichol was smart when it came to advanced planning, he was a downright genius when it came to strategizing. But when it came to doing it, he sucked. He couldn't, for the life of him, change. They were supposed to have cover from where they shot the tourist raft, but the tree that used to be there and would provide that cover had been cut down. So, they were told to just go where they were supposed to be originally. Nichol didn't even scout for another location! He was too worried that it would throw off the whole scale of his advanced plan. And they were simpletons to disagree. They didn't see the whole picture, he said; they didn't understand the complexity of the plan, he said. Whatever. They were no more stupid than he.

They continued down the river, Nichol's canoe in front of theirs, digging into the rapids and coming up to a portage spot that they would need to climb out for.

They pulled into the sand and jumped out of their canoes. Taking a good grip of the side, even as they were soaked up to their waist, they followed orders. This was part of Nichol's plans. This was where they were supposed to get ahead of the tree-huggers by not portaging into the forest carrying the canoes, but by keeping to the very edge of the raging river and walking past the rapids.

They pulled their canoes away from the tide and dragging water, the low shallow they were forced to walk in was enough to keep their canoes from going out to river, as long as they held onto their canoes tight. And as their shoes filled with the grainy water, and they slid all over the slippery rocks under foot, Alex and Muller were ready to begin their conversation about mutiny again while they followed their insane leader through the not-quite rapids. They were both almost sucked under a few times. But it was better than the towering cliffs above, they figured. At least they didn't have to portage the area like the ranger boys would.

They were shaking in their boots. The whirling white water was coating every inch of their bodies with its ice spray. And they had to hug themselves so close to the steep jagged rocks that they were bloody and bruised. But they made it to the put-in point in record time. No, a record of record time. So much quicker, it was like, a fraction or something! Nichol was smart, they grudgingly admitted him that.

They pulled into the sand and gravel shallow exhausted. They needed to get a stable bearing and drop some of the water before they would climb back in to the canoes, they decided. Nichol had no choice, really- they refused to move until they had a few seconds to breathe and relax on terra firma.

A twig broke.

All three of them froze, breath coming silent and calm. They were highly trained, after all.

They could hear some voices, muffled by their lack of proximity, but the steps were sure and quick. Especially quick. Whoever these people were, they were not on an everyday walk.

As the sounds grew nearer, the three dove for tree cover simultaneously. The military background they all possessed, and a few other tricks, kicked in as they began to hug the shadows and follow the suspicious sounds. No one was supposed to be on this side of the river. It was supposed to be sold off to their company in a scant few more days so the park was closed. Whomever they were, were trespassing. Only a select hated few would be so bold as to purposely tromp around it.

Smirking as an opportunity presented itself, the three followed to the same beat of their prey, but in a hurry as they were, it seemed a heard of elephants wouldn't be heard by them.

The ranger group slid down to the take out point just over from where Nichol's canoes lay, thankfully hidden by the angle of the riverbank and the forest. Hopefully the rangers wouldn't decide to take a walk across the beach.

"C'mon let's move. Drop the canoes and let's get back to Quatre." That was defiantly the voice of the ranger. The real certified ranger; Barton. The bastard who got away from them before they got him to the boss. At least they had got his little winged rat.

"Hide the canoes, then we'll go right back." That was defiantly Psycho-Jap.

"We left Treize down there with him. He'll take care of him. Quit being so God dammed pissy, Tro. We all know you're over the moon for him. No need to prove it again and again." Snickered the loud braided one, Psycho-Jap's bitch.

"…Am not." Barton denied after far too much deliberation.

Well, well, well. That was something new to the three of them. Barton had a sweetheart in the group, 'Quatre', whom ever that was.

The four nicknamed 'the bleeding heart tree-hugging rangers fags' by their nemeses, began moving almost immediately after their conversation, the ranger's canoes having been hidden under a drooping tree's leaves, all ready to go. And without the hindrance of the heavy canoes the four made it out of earshot quick.

The three conspirators jumped out of the bush and unveiled the now defenseless canoes, all three smirking devilishly.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Treize finished wrapping the last bandage around Quatre's arm. Quatre was not injured seriously. A lot of cuts and bruises, a particularly nasty cut on the hand that broke his fall, (He'd have a thick bandage around that for a while) but thankfully just about everything was in order. And he didn't even whine, whimper or cry. He was one step above Duo, in Treize's opinion. And people had the nerve to call him a wimp?

"You really got balls, Quatre." Treize said, sitting comfortably with the blonde bathed in light from the hole in the roof above them. The atmosphere was like those slumber party truth or dare kind of feelings that made you want to open up to the person next to you that you'd never see again because it was your friend's friend's cousin or someone like that.

Quatre smiled a 100-watt grin, "Really?" he asked like a kid at Christmas, ecstatic at the praise.

Treize chuckled, "Damn straight. You do what has to be done, Quatre. You come through when it matters most with your all. And that is a hell of a lot more important than being faster, or stronger, or bigger and smarter. It has to do with character, and you are one upstanding person. My Dragon doesn't give his friendship easily. It's damn near impossible to win his trust, either. But you gained both in a matter of days. Just knowing that, I would put my life on the line for you without needing to meet you myself. But I am incredibly grateful I did. Because you are a wonderful person, Quatre. I have no idea how anyone could think any differently."

Quatre smiled sadly, unable to think of anything to say back to that. So he decided to be Mr. Fix it again. "You really care about Wufei."

Treize smiled lovingly, albeit sadly, "I love him with all my heart and soul. I would be lost without him. He knows that. This thing with Lady Une? He truly knows I would never do such a thing. He knows it. But I also know that it hurt his pride a great deal just to question him and me. I know he also felt I publicly humiliated him when he confronted me. That hurt him deeply, even though he was one who initiated it. And his wounded pride is what is keeping him so upset."

Treize smirked lopsided, relaxing further onto the cave floor, "If he apologizes, he is admitting he was wrong. If he forgives me, he is showing weakness to someone who humiliated him. It's a lose-lose situation to him, and if he stays mad, he doesn't have to face a decision just yet. And I know my Dragon, he can stay angry for a long, long, LONG time. I know that he just needs his time and space to deal with this. He isn't used to letting his feelings override his reason."

Treize looked Quatre into his eyes, his lips turned in a sincere, loving smile, "But he knows how deeply I still care for him. I hope that he works himself out soon, though, because I can't bear to see him hurting."

Quatre was touched. Treize's love for Wufei was boundless and it enveloped Quatre like a warm embrace. God, he wanted that for himself. He wanted to love someone so much it hurt and have them love him back twice as hard!

Before Quatre could break out into tears, (yeah right, like he had balls!) hurried footsteps practically stampeded above their heads. Treize and Quatre both ducked in hopes of saving themselves from the bats. But thankfully, only a few screeches of protest were heard and there was no wild flight to freedom.

"Quatre?" That was Trowa's voice.

Treize smirked, winking at Quatre, "He really likes you." Treize mouthed, smirking like the devil himself when Quatre blushed neon red.

Before Treize could tease him anymore, though, a thick yellow nylon rope swung down into the light, and a body followed, then another, and another.

Trowa jumped from the rope only half way down and went directly to check Treize's handiwork on Quatre's injuries himself.

Once Heero, the last in the line, got onto the ground, everyone crowded around. "Let's get this checked out. Three groups. Duo and I, Treize and Wufei, Quatre and Trowa. We'll go-"

"I refuse to be in a group with that man!" Wufei hissed.

Heero glared, "We need ONE person in each group who can recognize the bat, and those three are Me, Treize and Trowa. I am working with Duo because I said so, and Quatre is still Trowa's responsibility. Get over it, Chang, your little tiff is becoming a liability to the mission and I will not allow it to get in the way." Heero demanded. It was practical, and Heero knew Wufei just as well as the rest. He was being nothing but stubborn and it was starting to irk him. Wufei was hissing towards Treize and glaring daggers at Heero with his eyes.

Heero addressed the whole group again, "Duo and I will take the cavern behind the arch because we are the smallest and Duo has the best cave searching gear. Trowa, you and Quatre take the left side of the big cave. Treize, you and Wufei take the right. Meet back at this light in one hour. And If I hear any problems, I'll leave whoever caused it behind!" Heero reacted to Wufei's not-even disguised loathing with a snarl. He was mad. Pissed. Quatre was glad that look was not pinned on him, but could feel for Wufei.

Wufei nodded tightly, not daring to second guess Heero's decision. There was a reason Heero was the leader, and it wasn't just because he was smart. He knew how to put them all into place.

They split up, each group given a flashlight and their orders.

Their hour glass of opportunity was draining quicker than they anticipated.

TBC

AN: hoped you liked! Review me, please, it keeps me happy when I'll be without net this summer!


	18. Winged Rat

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**_NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on are the larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!_**

**Chapter 17: Winged Rat**

Quatre couldn't figure out why Heero thought they needed a whole hour to search the cave he had found, but then he saw Trowa take one step into the huge cave and seem to just stare at the roof for a whole five minutes, then take two steps left, and do it again.

Quatre leaned over to Trowa, holding his shoulder to get as close as possible so they could talk and not upset the bats. Honesty, that was why. Really. Had nothing to do with feeling that coiled muscle under his shirt that molded to every contour of Trowa's very good looking body. Or the fact that he was close enough to feel his heat and smell Trowa's scent. Really. "What exactly are we looking for? I can look too." Quatre whispered.

Although to Trowa it sounded more like a purr. God! He was going to melt if Quatre got any closer. The boy was too damn adorably hot! "The bat has unusually large ears, and when they are sleeping, the ears just hang straight down. They are small little things, no bigger than your fist. So often, they sleep really close, ten seem like only three. If we look too quickly and not thoroughly enough we miss the one bat we need. Take an incredibly good look. Than another to be sure."

Quatre nodded, and stepped gently away, although in the dark, the bats moving the only sound he could hear, he was very reluctant to let Trowa go. But he did.

He stepped over, and looked straight up. Something was falling right towards him! He gasped, and shot away, crashing right into Trowa in his haste (he had only been two steps away to begin with) and unable to see a damn thing in the darkness.

Trowa chuckled, and gently pushed him back to his spot. "Bat Guano. Poop." He explained quietly, and grabbed Quatre's hand. "Just stay close. Hold on so I know where you are." Quatre could feel his stomach clench in excitement; Trowa was holding his hand!

THINK QUATRE! He had to find this bat. He told himself he'd do his best. And gloating over Trowa's proximity was not a good use of their limited time.

He started to follow Trowa's lead. Starring at the ceiling he began his count: short ears, short ears, short ears. Oh, one was hiding! Short ears.

They had been at if for over twenty minutes, and that was just the ones on the side walls. No one was even looking at the middle of the roof. It was so high that they probably wouldn't be able to ID one anyway. It was quite disheartening, actually. There were just so many bats and so few of them. And so few they could even see. And these were probably the same damn bats they had seen before. It was so tedious! He understood why they were all getting so discouraged.

Just the fact that they had found a cave they didn't know about helped kick up their spirit, but just the sheer amount of these damn creatures! Quatre was feeling the fatigue, and he had only been with them three days doing this!

Forty minutes passed. He thought he had seen one. But no. It was just a regular one that had been sleeping lower than the others.

They had made it barely half the wall they were assigned to, Wufei and Treize (well the moving blobs with a flashlight he assumed were Wufei and Treize) were just a bit ahead of them. Treize trusted Wufei enough to not double check the area's Wufei had searched like Trowa was to Quatre. But Trowa, thankfully, was discrete about it and Quatre didn't want to admit it made him feel more secure, knowing if he had missed something, Trowa probably hadn't.

On the other side of the cave Quatre heard something. The flashlight across the huge span of cave moved excitedly. Or frightened. Quatre squeezed hard, just to keep his own fear in line, and saw Trowa turn to watch as well. Treize and Wufei were practically scrunched as one against the wall, the flashlight reflecting off the floor to give them enough light to see, but not enough to scare the bats.

"Something is going on over there." Trowa said quietly. He dug his foot deep into the dirt and other stuff on the floor, making a distinctive circle to mark their spot then tugged Quatre across the cave to investigate.

As they got closer, Quatre could make out their shapes, defiantly Wufei and Treize, pressed hard up against the wall and starring up, their bodies tensed and jittery.

"Trey?" Trowa whispered so damn quiet, Quatre was sure they didn't hear him. About to say it himself, he was proved wrong. Treize, not turning from whatever captured his interest so, motioned for them to come closer with his arm.

"There is a little nook up there. It goes into the wall about a foot. Wufei thinks he saw some big ears up there. We're trying to get a better look. But it's too high, and these damn creatures keep shifting!" Treize's voice was so quiet, Quatre only hear him because he was practically plastered to his side.

Wufei shifted back, huffing a stray lock of hair away from his forehead in annoyance. He tried to back up and get a different perspective of the niche, but there were just too many other bats in the way.

Trowa starred, his eyes darting around formulating a plan. "Cat, How are you with balance?"

Quatre froze wide eyed.

Treize caught on to Trowa's plan. "Good idea. But Wufei and I are taller. Wufei, could you sit on my shoulders and I'll lift you up to get a better look?"

Wufei just nodded sharply. Grabbing the man he formerly 'wasn't talking to' around the neck, he let Treize bend, then climbed up onto his shoulders, grasping Treize's raised arms to keep from falling then wrapping his shins under Treize's arms to hold tight to his back. It looked awfully tippy and high to Quatre. He was damn glad Trowa hadn't asked. He wouldn't want to chicken out when it was so important. But that was damn high!

Treize stepped, extremely slowly and smooth, toward the wall. Wufei, now almost four feet higher than before, starred straight ahead and grasped Treize's hand confidently.

Wufei bristled, his whole body tensing and froze. Treize stopped as well, sensing Wufei's changed state.

Quatre bit his nails, worried Wufei was going to fall. He had to remind himself to breathe!

Then Wufei grinned. An exuberant, overjoyed, unbelieving grin. He was having trouble himself, breathing!

"Get me the carrier. And get me closer." He breathed, so quiet if everyone hadn't been waiting on a pin drop it wouldn't have been heard.

Trowa raced to his side and unhooked a cage, about the size square of a pocket book with a hanging perch and slatted holes instead of bars. There was nothing bigger than a bug getting through those holes!

He unhooked all three locking mechanisms, (two obviously added to the top and bottom since they were silver and rest of the cage and middle lock were black) and opened the door. Again, as quiet as the grave, he handed it up to Wufei.

Everyone waited with bated breath as Treize walked closer to the wall, Wufei's eyes trained to one spot. He just needed to be close enough to reach out and grab the bat and stuff it into the cage before it flew. Once it was grabbed, it would scream and the cave would descend on top of them again. He had to get it.

Just centimeters from the wall now, Wufei held his breath, his face practically next to some other bat. Letting go of Treize's steadying hands, he positioned himself to grab, one hand poised, the other holding the open cage and only his legs and his balance keeping him on Treize's shoulders. Trowa took a spot right behind Wufei and grabbed his waist, adding the extra support.

Wufei inhaled.

His hand shot out into the wall, and flew back out as a scream wailed. The bats all around them opened their black eyes and screamed in response, taking frantic flight from their perches.

The one right in front of Wufei's face flew straight past him, knocking his cheek like a punch as it collided. But he gripped his prize, flung it into the cage and closed the door violently, slamming the middle lock before he began to tip backwards.

The black mass of frantic bats circled around them all, battering them like stones as they made for the hole in the next cave over.

Wufei was thrown around like a rag doll, being so much higher, the hundreds of bats slammed one after the other and in groups into him, each little hit sending him swaying precariously.

From the other cave, they could hear footsteps running towards their location. It must have been Heero and Duo coming to help.

But it was too late for Wufei. One more bat slammed into him, and that was it. He tumbled backwards; his shoulder glancing off Trowa's chest, out of his arms, as Wufei twisted awkwardly off Treize's shoulders and tried not to take any of them with him.

A sickening slam and grunt flew from Wufei as he collided to the unforgiving rock below. The cave was filled with screeches of so many bats that nothing else could be heard.

Except the distinctive metallic snap behind them.

Trowa whirled around to see three figures, large and bulky standing coldly at the exit to the center cave.

The light glanced off a gun.

It was pointing directly at the four of them as the owner pulled. The explosion momentarily deafened the shrieks of bats. Trowa slammed down on top of Quatre as the shot rang. Then three more in quick succession. A howling scream came from the exit.

The last three shots weren't aimed at them.

"RUN!" Duo voice screamed as two more shots rang out into the center cave. They didn't wait to listen as Wufei peeled himself off the floor like a Nascar tire and Trowa grabbed Quatre's collar and bolted, the blonde being half dragged behind the much faster runner, only getting in one step to Trowa's two strides.

Treize screamed from the end of the procession, "LEFT" and Wufei spun, Trowa following and Quatre, now enough adrenaline pumping through his veins to keep up to Trowa's pace, all flew down a passage they hadn't noticed before.

They continued to fly through the cave, unsure where they were going and hoping to hell it wasn't a dead end. They turned and turned again, Trowa setting the direction from the front since screaming out their choices seemed awful stupid when they could hear their pursuers hot behind them. They took a fork that circled right back how they had come. God, they hoped their pursuers had taken the same first fork they had and weren't running into them head on from the new passage.

Trowa flew straight through the first hall into another passage. There were three openings. Two going deeper into the cave and one that twisted around to the opposite way.

Trowa went towards the fourth Quatre hadn't even noticed. A little archway no taller than Quatre's knees sitting just off the ground. "Get in and see if we can hide in there. Stay if you can." Trowa ordered Quatre as he pushed him down to his knees towards the hole.

Quatre shut up the voice screaming about the squirrel eating foxes in the other hole and plunged in to the pitch darkness on all fours. It opened up after a few lengths and he was able to stand and even open his arms wide.

"All you, IN." Quatre called from out of the hole.

Wufei was pushed through, falling down the slight drop from floor to opening, almost dropping the cage, and Quatre grabbed him and hauled him out of the way of the next person shoved through. Treize fell with an incredibly pained grunt, then came Trowa, his flashlight slammed off once he entered the rock.

Treize hissed through his teeth, but shut himself up as quickly as it had sounded as they all held their breath.

Footsteps. Running towards them.

The god damned bat was shrieking like a fire alarm!

Trowa grabbed the cage from Wufei and rolled his body around it, hunching over himself onto the ground with the cage completely covered, shushing the screams to a dull cat-like yowl every once in a while.

At least it sounded like some other animal, certainly not a bat. Trowa crossed his fingers and hoped like heck that their pursuers were stupid enough to think it was some animal den they did not want to mess with.

The footsteps crashed into their passage, and halted.

"Wing?" that was defiantly Heero's growl. And their code word.

Trowa and Treize both growled back, "WING!" And Wufei stuck out of the hole, grabbing Duo's leg and pulling the two in roughly at the same time.

Heero was still half hanging into the hole when the passage lit up again and more footsteps burst in.

"Shit! Which one?" Trowa recognized that voice as Alex. Damned idiot had the devil's luck. He was the one who kicked the tree over he had hid in when he first had the bat.

Thankfully, his luck was less this time. "Spilt up. There are three tunnels, each take one." That was the leader, Nichol.

"DAMN IT!" Alex hissed, slamming his hand into the wall right behind their heads.

Trowa's Deja-vu was going off, and he gripped the bat around his middle tighter in response. This time, though, it was the cave that gave them away!

The wall gave out a sickening crack, and a pebble hit his head. Everyone looked up to the roof. Slow as a horror film, dreading what they would find.

A crack of light shone down upon them. Then it got larger and larger as more loose rock fell. This little pocket's wall was directly facing outside. But the light made the bottom hole glow like a lighthouse in the pitch black cave.

"SHIT! There's another hole!" Alex bellowed.

He cocked his gun and opened fire into the archway. All six of them threw themselves away from the entrance as the bullets ricocheted around the enclosed space.

Luckily, no one grunted in pain and one hit beside the crack, and more rocks fell, almost hitting Wufei. But the one crack, now an opening of light, shone like a floodlight to safety.

Taking initiative, Heero grabbed the entrance and, clearing debris as he went, he heaved himself out of the slim opening and found a hold outside.

He threw his arms down, gesturing for someone else to follow.

"Trowa, GO. You've got the BAT!" Wufei ordered, pushing Trowa's hands to Heero's and slamming against the sides to widen the hole for Trowa's broad shoulders. Heero grasped his wrists, and before Trowa could protest, (and protest he was!) Heero was pulling him out of the hole, the bat dangling from his belt and under his jacket.

Once Trowa's legs were out of sight seconds later, Heero's hands were reaching down again, grasping Duo's wrist and hauling him out.

"They're in here! I can hear 'EM!" Alex shouted. He positioned his gun, and shot out another wave of bullets. Thankfully Duo was yanked away in time before they pierced his legs. Alex was aiming for the light!

Treize took the few seconds it took for Alex to reload to slam his foot into the side of the hole like a rocket. The rocks shook, and a few little pebbles moved. They had another second, and Wufei helped. Couching and pistoning his foot into the left side as Treize nailed the right, they hammered into the side of that slim opening.

Another metallic click, and they ducked for the edges. Another round flew into the enclosed space. They could hear Alex's friends yelling "GO IN!"

But that last round of bullets made the last of the stubborn rocks crash down, the hole wider than two of them across.

Obviously that had been Treize's plan as two sets of hands flew down over the light, Heero and Trowa's greatly muscled arms hung and beckoned. Quatre and Wufei grabbed and the moment flesh hit flesh they were flung out.

He was flying. Quatre stomach dropped to his feet. There was nothing to anchor him to reality except strong, fingerless-leather incased hands that flung him like a rag doll up onto some grassed ground.

Quatre's head swam just starring at the painfully bright blue sky and incredibly thankful for the firm ground under him.

They had flung him out into open air just like that! Quatre knew in his guts how high they were. Dear GOD! He was hyperventilating just thinking about what could have--

One gloved hand appeared over the ledge, and both Heero and Trowa grabbed that one arm and hauled him up, working together to swing him over the side and rolling painfully onto the grass.

That pained hiss reminded Quatre of in the cave. Treize had hurt himself getting into their hiding spot, or before.

"TREY!" Wufei gasped in horror.

There was no way he had been hurt like that getting into the cave! There was a patch of blood covering his entire front from a bullet sized hole in his left shoulder. Treize looked sickening white and was trembling as pain shot through his system.

Not bothering to remember he was mad, Wufei grasped him around the neck and pushed hard on the bullet hole trying to stifle the bleeding, he did a quick search and found that, thankfully, it was a clean shot, but it was still bleeding like a hose.

Wufei reached into the small medical carrying pack Treize brought and pulled out some bandages and antiseptic, looking panicked and helpless at the sight of all the blood not coating his hand.

Heero swooped down, lying their injured comrade onto the grassy ledge that they found themselves on and stated to treat Treize with the efficiency a triage nurse would be proud of.

Beneath them, they could hear Alex, Muller, and Nichol calling to each other and hanging out from the hole just a few feet from their legs. Heero grabbed the wrap and began to mummify Treize's left shoulder, holding the bandage in place as securely and quickly as he could.

If the three were smart down there, they'd just point upwards and open fire. That was the idiot brothers' style, from what the group had seen of them. They had to move as quickly as possible. They had to get to their boats and get the hell going. They had the bat. Now it was a race to get back to base before it was too late and hope to hell the three stooges didn't catch them.

Taking a good look around, Quatre saw they weren't that far from where he had fell in. As the bird flew, that was. There was a huge freaking gap between them and the place they had been hiking. They just happened to be on an outcropping connected to the side of the damn cliff with only two ways off! Up and Down! HOW IN THE HELL HAD THEY GOTTEN INTO THIS!

Quatre clung to the side of the cliff, the furthest he could possible reach and began to pray.

"We're going to descend over this side." Heero ordered quietly.

No. No. No. Too high. Far to GOD DAMNED high! Quatre couldn't even make it UP these things, let along down. And he got a little glimpse of the trees below. It was like looking at the ground from the top of his sister Sal's penthouse balcony: 15 Stories! He had been little then, and he still looked up to his big cousin. His cousin had noticed how his little cousin 'Quatwa' as he so politely said (the boy was 10, Quatre was 5. hello, bully, much!) was afraid of heights. He decided the best was to get over it was to dangle Quatre by his legs over the side. His other sister, Iria, ran out, grabbed Quatre back and gave his cousin a good swap for it. But Quatre never forgot that. The trees beneath him had been pinpricks. Just like this damn cliff. They could even see the river clearly from their vantage point, and that was miles away!

"We can't descend, Heero. We don't have the gear for that kind of climb." Trowa, the resident climbing authority, said.

A resounding ring of bullets answered that question. Duo had to shimmy back from the side to avoid being hit.

"Treize will need help. We have one rope. We can't just belay down. I want Treize tied to the front. Wufei following on his right, Heero to his left. Duo and Quatre you go over next, I'll bring up the rear." Trowa quickly spread out the positions.

"Negative." Heero was cold and concrete. "Trowa, you go down first, set it as a lead rope. You have the bat and you are the expert climber. Some of us won't make it down without the guide rope, no matter the extra time it will take to get us all over. I want you down with the bat then hauling ass to the boats. We'll take different routes back to the boats so they won't follow and meet there." Heero instructed while securing a protesting Treize.

"I can make it without all this bullshit! It's just a little scratch. I can still climb. And I can still climb bareback!" Treize was outraged. But pale and really not well looking. His bandage had shown red before Heero began to wrap him. Quatre was no doctor, but he knew that meant he was still bleeding, therefore loosing more blood.

"You stupid, Proud, Ass!" Wufei bellowed, "Your injured, just let yourself heal, Trey! Please. Let's get off this cliff, down to our boats and far and away. Then we can treat your injury properly. You'll just make it worse if you strain yourself. You're white, baby! Please!"

Another shower of bullets rained down beside them, and Wufei dove over Treize to protect him.

Seeing the pain in his lover's face, Treize gave a curt nod, pulling the rope Heero had snaked around him tight and stepping towards the cliff edge. "Let's do this. Trowa, you and I will go down at the same time. You bare while I guide the rope. You can be there to help if anyone needs it if you're mobile. Yuy, Take up the rear and make sure those guys don't come over the top."

Heero was already grinning, a sleek handgun in his grip and pointing over the side the when second the bullet shower stopped. He opened fire himself, his bullets actually hitting the rock and flying through the opening.

Treize, Trowa, and Wufei were already over the side and gone. Then Duo disappeared over the edge of the cliff. Still, Quatre was frozen in place. He couldn't. He just-- not that high. He couldn't.

Heero was running back from the other side of the cliff where he had been firing seconds earlier. "MOVE WINNER!" he bellowed.

Heero's eyes widened when he saw the stark terror in the blonde's eyes. Shit. This was not good. He was panicking. Shit. Shit!

"Winner!" Heero screamed and yanked his arm with him to the side. Quatre took two steps closer and collapsed to the ground, his breath hard and unnatural. He was hyperventilating, Heero recognized with a start. This was a lot more than just reluctance.

They didn't have time for this! "They are coming over that wall. They will be here in seconds and we have to be down on the ground before that happens." Just to buy a few more precious seconds, Heero ran over to where he could see two heavy arms searching for grips outside the cave. He let off three shots, one he knew hit his mark because of the howl of pain and crimson blossoming from one of the arms. They shot back into the safety of the cave and tried to determine if it was safe or not.

Quatre still hadn't moved. Yelling wasn't helping.

Heero grabbed Quatre by the shoulders and looked straight in to his terrified eyes. "You will be shot if you stay here. You have no choice but to go down."

"I can't! I can't! I- oh GOD! Go, Heero! Just go without me! Get the hell out of here, and save your mother's forest. If they find me here, maybe I can distract them to give you more time. Go Heero!" Quatre said, his entire body numb. Heero was in shock; Quatre wasn't kidding.

The sound of rocks tumbling underneath them reminded Heero damn quickly how precious time was. "I will not leave a friend behind." He said coldly. He grabbed Quatre's arm and pulled his unresponsive body toward the edge. Quatre was like a rag doll. He wasn't even fighting back.

"Take this rope and tie onto it." Heero ordered. Tears were flowing down Quatre's cheeks but he didn't move. Heero tied him to it, and then slid himself over the side, grabbing the rocks tight in his experienced hands. He didn't trust Quatre not to freeze on the way down; he would go down right beside him.

"Quatre. NOW!" he ordered. A bullet flew through the air over them. Heero was grateful; the trajectory meant that the three were still trying to make their way out of that opening. It was small for them. Long, but thin. And if Alex and Muller were one thing, it certainly wasn't thin. They were nothing but bulky muscle a football player would be envious of.

It was time for desperate measures. Heero, knowing Quatre was tied to the rope, grabbed his friend, apologizing as he did it, and wrenched him off the edge and over the side.

_**TBC**_


	19. Flying

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**_NOTE: I did a BIG OOPS! Last chapter in my author's note I said Wilderness was one of the top 50 on Media and a lot of people asked me how I got that. _Well, There is a way to view storied based on most to least hits, the same way FF has the display by newest to oldest or alphabetically. How I found out was I was looking for a story sorted by most hits and I found Wilderness on the third page, then I counted. **

**_MY BIG OOPS_ was when I tried to duplicate my results. I couldn't. If anyone if familiar with they know how temperamental that system can be. It tends to go back to lower ratings, or some weird stuff when you click something wrong. I think I did something like that and somehow got Wilderness up there. I double checked and was UNABLE TO FIND IT where I thought it would be.**

**Please, do not go on thinking it was as good as I said. I'm going back to strike that from the chapter, I'm so embarrassed!**

**Please enjoy this chapter, and the EXTRA I put at the end for some fun.**

**Chapter 18: Flying**

Quatre felt his body come back to stark awareness in a flash. He was being pulled over the cliff-side by Heero!

Quatre began to flail, but he was already to far gone to stop. He was falling. Falling! Quatre's breath stopped as his vision tilted. Something around his stomach was pulling him towards the hard, unforgiving rock at the side of the cliff. Instinct told him to throw his hands in front of him, and as his already bruised and as abused palms made contact with the wall they screamed in pain, but gripped. They gripped for dear life as Quatre's feet kicked and flailed.

"To the left. Move your right foot to the left." Quatre didn't even take time to realize it was Heero's voice, Mr. pusher-off-the-cliff himself, and just did it. His foot finding a little ledge big enough he felt half steady.

"Listen, Quatre. We're going to do this steady and slow. Alright? Just follow what I tell you." Heero said.

Quatre gripped onto the side, hard, but gave in to that instinct to look down at death. Thankfully, he couldn't crane his neck far without letting go of the rock face; which he refused to do. All he saw was the wall, and Heero doing some interesting maneuvers.

Heero was gripping tight and starring below through the gap between his arms, trying to find places to step. Quatre's brief knowledge of climbing told him this was highly not done. But then again, he'd never heard of a group having to go DOWN a cliff without a rope or the ability to simply belay down or let gravity do its work. Like when were highly trained people stuck in a situation like that?

Now, obviously, Dumb ass. His inner voice was cynical enough to make him giggle despite the situation. Heero looked up, quirked an eyebrow, then proceeded to order him, "Right hand down to your waist, over right, good. Put your weight on your hand. Now, just let yourself go down to it by crouching."

Quatre repeated this process. Stick his leg out as far as he could, grab a rock lower, than distribute his weight to his hand as he bent his straight-out leg to get lower, then grab again, and extend his legs further down. Heero was lower than him, and had it trickier, not having someone tell him where he could stand. But Quatre really wasn't focusing on Heero's dilemma at the moment.

Quatre was getting the rhythm; he couldn't even see the ground, so he was forgetting how high they were, when the sound of gunfire above his reminded him of the dire situation. His intuition was warning him that they had to move, FAST. So he squashed his fears and began to adopt Heero's method; looking and then stepping. He even beat Heero to the punch a few times.

He was moving the best he could, just listening to Heero's calm breathing and instructions. The top of the cliff was getting further and further away, and he was comfortable feeling the rope around his waist shift a bit as the others, tied to it further below him, moved or slowed.

It was trippy, all right. He knew if he fell it would mean his neck, but he was surrounded by friends who would do their best to help him. They were in a bad situation, he knew, but he could almost feel everyone else mirroring his thoughts: just climb. No tomorrow, no yesterday, just down and up, nothing else.

His moment was short lived, though, when he looked up. There was a hulking brunette and an equally hulking blonde with a shining pistol pointed down.

"Shit." He heard Duo, just below him, say.

"MOVE!" Heero ordered, and began to scale down faster, moving more daring. "Only four of us are still on. Tro and Treize are already down. We're almost there, just climb." Heero instructed.

The first shower of bullets rang out. They were sitting, well, 'climbing', ducks! They couldn't even move away! Their only saving grace was the cliff itself. It sloped larger at the top so that Alex and Muller couldn't get a straight shot. The shots were barely skimming their backs.

Bullets continued to sound, but they weren't hitting even close to the climbers. Quatre was a little confused, but continued to just look for his next foot hold. He couldn't even see Heero anymore, but he could hear him talking to Duo, and Quatre could feel the rope pulling around him.

Then a sickening, almost slimy, silken thing fell onto him in a heap.

The shear surprise had him pressing close to the wall and digging into the large foot hold he had. What the HELL!

Quatre's movements sent whatever had slid onto him further down the cliff. He looked to the side in time to see that long snake-like thing was the rope, shot to cut it from the top, falling down in a coiled heap. Quatre didn't miss the significance of no rope to hold on to, and was thankful Treize, who had been lowered solely with the rope, was already on ground.

"DUO!" Heero screamed.

Quatre, gripping the wall hard enough that his palms were screaming in pain, twisted around to see Duo. The rope that had just glazed Quatre had twisted all around Duo's neck and shoulders cutting off his movements. Heero was reaching out, trying to steady him to the wall, where he was only able to get one hand grip and nothing like the solid footing Quatre had.

Then, with another round of sadistic laughter, the three playing assassin let loose another round of fire, aiming for Duo!

The bullets smashed the rocks around them, and like in the cave, the bullets that couldn't hit them were enough to dislodge roots, ground, and pebbles to rain down on top of them.

With a sickening grunt, and Heero's scream, Duo lost his grip. A huge mass of rock and ground was covering Duo and more rained down as he windmilled, trying not to let gravity have him as he tipped further and further out of Heero's reach.

Then he was away from the cliff, sailing in the open air.

"DUO!" Heero screamed, his voice crying out in helplessness.

Quatre couldn't see! He couldn't see what was happening. Oh God, Quatre heard a tell tale crunch as Duo smashed into the ground, then nothing. Not even a moan of pain.

Quatre started to hyperventilate again. Duo! DUO! Duo fell off the cliff! He fell off the cliff! Heero was sobbing, trying to get down to his fallen lover, Quatre could hear him, but not see anything unless he let go of the cliff now and shared Duo's fate.

Quatre felt the tears streaming off his face. Duo didn't deserve it. He was a good person. A young person with his whole life ahead of him. He loved this forest, he loved Heero, he loved his friends and now he was probably mush on the forest floor below for doing what he could to save the forest he and so many other's loved so much.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right!

And they were laughing! Those bastards above them, raining the bullets down on them. The ones who shot their only safety rope, the ones who made the ground and rocks weigh down on them and pummel Duo until he couldn't balance any longer.

They killed him and they were LAUGHING!

How dare they!

Quatre was so upset he couldn't see straight. He couldn't think straight. No. No. NO!

"QUATRE! GET DOWN HERE!"

"QUATRE! NOW!" That was Trowa. Screaming. Screaming! Everything was screaming! Everyone was screaming at him! He couldn't hear it anymore! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP! He couldn't even hear himself think.

Everything was slamming around in his head, 'he can't do it', his high school gym teacher had said. 'Be a man' his father growled. The looks of apathy, ridicule. Everything was slamming in his head a mile a minute. His father screaming, Trowa screaming, Bullets screaming, Heero pushing, Duo falling, screaming, screaming, SCREAMING!

"QUATRE YOU HAVE TO GET DOWN HERE!" Trowa called out, his voice horse and eyes wet and wide.

Quatre couldn't breath, he couldn't think. His chest was tightening and his arms shook. He couldn't move; he was petrified in place, shaking and trembling and his head wouldn't stop screaming.

"He's not moving! QUATRE!" Wufei yelled, standing below with the rest, watching as Heero dragged Duo away from the open and into the trees they all waited in. Wufei was worried about Duo, but not like he was about Quatre. Duo was on ground and in pain, but he could be fixed.

Quatre was still in the thick of things.

Heero looked up from his injured boyfriend and to the cliff side. Heero realized he had left Quatre. Just left Quatre up there alone! What WAS HE DOING! Heero knew he'd never forgive Trowa if he'd done the same to anyone. But Heero had just LEFT HIM!

"Shit, he's not even moving!" Treize's hollow voice stirred. He was watching Quatre frozen on the cliff side.

Heero stared and saw it, that trembling, shaking Quatre that he had seen above the ledge, the one that had all but vanished once he started to climb.

"He's having another panic attack!" Heero realized, eyes wide as saucers.

"WHAT!" Wufei bellowed.

"Another?" Trowa demanded.

Another shower of bullets came down, just to remind the rangers that the three were still there and climbing down to meet them. They had ropes, though. And, unfortunately, they were catching up.

"Yes, he had one up top, too. I had to throw him over the ledge to get him over. He's hyperventilating and trembling and- and he just shut down. I was trying to talk to him and he didn't even seem to hear me. He's- Oh Fuck! I left him up there like that! He's terrified of heights and I left him alone to get Duo!" Heero clung to his injured lover and starred at his guilt on the cliff side.

Trowa, furious and terrified, ran out to the open, getting as close to the cliff side as he could. "Quatre! Quatre!" He called, "Angel!"

Quatre heard the voice. Heard the terror and the tears. He couldn't stand people crying. Not for him, not for anything. "Tro-?" He warbled out.

The joy everyone screamed echoed through the forest like a firecracker.

"Quatre, you have to get down."

"I can't. I can't move. I- If I move, my legs will give. I can't. Trowa, I'm sorry, just go on! Get out of here! Please!" Quatre sobbed, unable to even move his fingers that were fused to the rock. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't move. His legs and arms were stuck; he was paralyzed with the panic.

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY YOU CAN'T!" Trowa screamed. "Don't you EVER say that again! You CAN, Quatre! You can do this! I know you can. Just let go and jump down to me. You're not that high. Just turn around and let go!" Trowa ordered.

Quatre's head was begging 'no, he couldn't do that'. Rallying excuses and apologies, he just had to tell Trowa that he couldn't. But when Quatre looked down to tell Trowa he couldn't turn, he was facing the trees, not the cliff. He had turned.

His head screamed 'no', but his heart had already listened.

Quatre looked down, holding onto the rock behind him backwards, both his feet were firmly planted on a footing hold just large enough to stand pointing outwards.

He looked down to see the terror struck face of Trowa, always so strong, so fierce, so totally beautifully controlled and calm; now just begging with his tearing eyes.

He wasn't that far away. He wasn't. It was like standing on a second story balcony and looking down. If he grabbed the edge of the outcropping and lowered his full body down, his feet might just skim the top of Trowa's head. It wasn't that far. He kept rehearsing it: It wasn't that high. It wasn't THAT HIGH!

YES IT WAS! "God, Trowa, I can't-"

"Don't you dare say CAN'T!" Trowa bellowed, regaining some of his steel as he took two steps away from the rock wall. The sun caught his hair's golden-red highlights and the determined emerald chips in his eyes.

"You will let go of that cliff, and you will jump into my arms." Trowa demanded, holding out his arms up to Quatre. "And I WON'T let go, Angel."

Quatre squished his eyes shut. Oh hell. Oh HELL!

"C'mon, Cat!" That was Wufei, calling from the forest.

"You can do this, Winner. Just jump!" Heero bellowed. Quatre brought panicked eyes to his form, and saw Duo crumpled in his arms. But just as he couldn't take the sight, Duo stirred and reached his arm up to grab Heero's hand.

He was alive. "Duo's Alive!" He didn't realize he screamed it.

"Yeah, Cat. He's alive. But he's hurt. And we can't get out of here without you! You have to get down here!" Trowa called, pleading and begging.

Quatre swallowed hard. He knew he couldn't make this jump! He couldn't. He couldn't even climb the wall or paddle the raft without falling in. He couldn't do these outdoorsy things. He couldn't! But the others wouldn't leave until he tried.

Trowa was standing there, arms open and waiting. Alex and Muller were above them, climbing down to kill them all. Wufei was curled around Treize, watching. Duo was holding Heero through his pain. Heero had tears running down his face. Everyone was watching Quatre. They were all depending on him.

Quatre closed his eyes and gasped his final breath. One flying step was all it took, and he flung himself off the cliff.

Air swirled around him and his whole body just relaxed. He was going into Trowa's arms or god's arms.

He had no control anymore. He just let it go. All the pain, all the 'I can't' all his father's words and screams and looks, all the bullies that had ever picked on him; all the things he worried over every day let go in that split second of absolute freedom.

And then he was being scooped up into powerful, hard, protecting arms and being swung around to help stop his propulsion. And he was flying. Flying! Flying free with only Trowa's hard arms anchoring him to reality.

Then they were rolling; the ground, then Trowa, then the ground again, as he was turned and flipped and together they careened into the brush.

With trees scraping Quatre's back, and rocks hitting them as they rolled, and even a hard knock Quatre felt as Trowa hit a rock, through all that Trowa never let him go.

They stopped with Quatre lying with his back to the ground, Trowa braced on top of him, legs knelt open over his hips and elbows on either side of his head. Trowa's face was inches away for Quatre's, both of them were breathing hard and hot and gasping from the excursion.

Quatre, free and still flying, closed his eyes again and with that deliciously safe heat, and pulsing, beating, weight on top of him, he moved the millimeters needed and touched his lips to Trowa's.

With the adrenaline and testosterone and emergency catapulting around them, they were devouring each other's mouths in seconds. Pillaging all they could like starving men on a morsel of bread as their bodies vibrated and came down from the high.

The other's let them go at it for the seconds it took them to gather themselves and see Alex and Muller almost at the ground. "WE HAVE TO MOVE!" Heero bellowed, grabbing Trowa's collar as he ran and hauled his friend off the very willing blonde beneath him. Wufei swooped in next, grabbing Quatre and running in the opposite direction Heero and Duo had gone.

"Where?"

"We're splitting up so the three can't follow us. I know where the boats are, so you need to be with me." Wufei explained while pumping his legs against the ground. Quatre's body, still not crashed from the adrenaline, caught up to the pace within moments, and Wufei and he were striding through the forest, twisting and turning and dodging.

**End ch 18**

**Author's note: for those that didn't read the top note, please read it. Here's the extra that fits in the chapter, but is a little OOC for Omar, although I'm sure many of my reviews will enjoy it because of that!**

**Extra: Back at Camp**

Mr. Chang paced the well manicured 'adventure stop' grass frantically as the rest of the troop merrily went about their fishing. His body shook with suppressed anger and frustration, but he could do nothing, and he knew it. He almost wished one of the others would make a crack about his son or the Winner boy just so he could pummel them and let out some of his pent up emotions.

"What are you doing over there, Ryu? No fish biting for you today? Most of the group got at least two already, today. It's going to be a great supper tonight! You look so tense, why don't you just sit on down with a pole and take your mind off work. You're here on vacation after all, no need to get worked up over whatever's going on back at the office. See, like me, I'm here and I'm not even worrying about work. My company is working in a big client, rival with your company you know, trying to snag our services. It's going to be a quick one, that deal, if Chang company wanted our company's product, you'd have to jump right on that."

Did Omar Winner ever shut up?

"But there's no use worrying, you'll give yourself grey hairs."

Obviously not. Omar was a good enough businessman. Mr. Chang respected his shrewdness and diligence to his company. When they really were talking about business, Omar had an intelligence about himself that Mr. Chang almost feared in light that Omar's target was Mr. Chang's company. But Omar's false friendliness was grating on Mr. Chang's nerves. It was as if the man had no idea how to go about being kind to another human being and was trying to mimic television or something.

"I'm not worried about work, Omar. I'm worried about my Son." Mr. Change replied tersely, sick of the man. Mr. Chang was dead worried about Wufei. He had just started to get to know his son again and he couldn't stand loosing him now. But Omar didn't seem to get the hint. Social cues were lost on Omar, it seemed.

"Oh, I'm sure Wufei will turn out fine. He's got good blood, he is your son after all, that whole having a BOYfreind thing is just a stage, probably." Omar replied.

"What are you talking about!" Ryu Change finally exploded, "I'm worried about his life! He's out on that river risking his life to save this forest and these people!"

Ryu Chang was on his feet, pacing with red faced determination, "He's riding class four rapids and paddling 20 hours a day and working his ass off in a place that could snatch his young life away in a breath. There are poisons and predators and those people trying to stop them; and I'm under no illusions that they will stop at nothing to do so, even kill them if they have the chance."

And now he was pulling his graying hair in agitation, taking a moment's breath and blustering on, "All of those boys could be dead right now, as I speak, and I wouldn't know anything until we make it back to the lodge two days from now. And even if something has happened to Wufei, there's nothing I could do!"

The other vacationers had rested up and got the poison out of their systems quickly. They were all ready to move on from the station. Milly was glad no on had said the word 'sue' and it seemed Mr. Chang was the only one who cared about the two boys! Not even Quatre's own father showed any signs of stress over the danger his son was in!

Omar blinked, "huh?"

Ryu continued, slowing down now that he had let off some of his steam, "I know he's capable, hell, he's the most capable out of the lot here. But any minute he could be snatched away, with the snap of a finger, or hurt. I'm worried, damn it! Aren't you the least bit worried about your own son, as well?"

Omar blinked, "Huh?"

"You're boy is such a good man, Omar. He knew what he was getting into, joining them, he knew the risks; that there were people trying to kill them, that the journey would be hard and tough, that he was out of his expertise. But Quatre went, even when the leader refused him in. All to save the people of this group! The people who ridiculed and mocked him the whole time, he went into danger to save them! He showed true bravery and honor, leaving safety for the good cause. But even so, he could be killed at any moment! He may not come back!" Ryu Chang gulped down air, and tried to calm his now trembling voice.

"I at least have the reassurance that Wufei has been through tons of survival training and is familiar with these parts. But Quatre has none of that! All you have is the hope that the others will take care of him, but sometimes, no matter who you're with, there is nothing that can be done. He could be injured, or lost, or killed at any moment!" Mr. Chang raged.

Jerry, the one who pushed Quatre from the raft earlier, and second in rank of the homophobe squad, piped up "One less fag."

Milly took a swing, shutting them all up like he had since the very beginning. Mr. Chang growled, actually nailing the bastard with all his might since Milly couldn't legally.

Omar blinked, "Huh?"

"I'm worried about the danger Quatre and Wufei are in." Ryu bellowed, ready to hit the man right between the eyes from pent up annoyance that had been boiling under his skin since the first day meeting the businessman. He couldn't fathom how such a sweet and honorable child like Quatre could share genes with the man in front of him.

Omar blinked, "Where is Quatre anyway? I haven't seen him since those fag forest rangers left... Well, he's not embarrassing me, so why look a gift horse in the mouth."

Ryu's jaw dropped. He was livid! His hand tightened into a fist and he swung, pouring all the annoyance and disgust into it and leveling the Arabic man. Then chin held high, he stalked off into the forest to cool down.

Milly, blinking at the display and looking down to see the unconscious bodies of Jerry and Omar fallen practically on top of each other, and the bushes still moving from Ryu's flight. Milly began to howl in laughter.

Gripping his shaking ribs and slapping his thighs, Milly let out peel after peel of laughter, "That's where Wufei gets it!"


	20. Cat and Mouse

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

Summary: AU. 3x4. Stuck on a Wilderness vacation, Father 'toughening him up', a deadly coincidence brings a forest ranger and the trouble following him, into their group. Quatre will have to prove to everyone just what the nancy-boy can do.

**Chapter 19: Cat and Mouse**

Quatre was able to catch up to Wufei's pace quickly. The adrenaline high from that jump was not totally gone and it kicked back into gear with the first few footfalls.

They were dodging in and out of the brush, swerving and turning.

They had broken off when Alex and Muller touched ground right behind them. The plan was the best Heero could come up with: if they split up, their pursuers had less chance of catching them and the bat.

After about ten minutes of exhausting their energy supply, Wufei and Quatre began to slow. The drag of gravity pulled harder and air was so much more of a commodity when running for one's life. If they stopped, though, they'd never start again.

"I don't think we're being followed now. We have to get our bearings. Where were the boats docked?" Quatre asked, slowing to a gentle trot and making Wufei match him.

"At a beach right after the high cliffs. It's not the smoothest take out, but it works. That's where the boats are. And we arrre…" Wufei began to see the flaw in the hastily drawn up plan. Lots of running equaled lots of twists and turns. Wufei was lost.

Yeah. Had to group with 'those who knew where the boats were', great idea. Thank God Quatre could hold his own.

"The water is this way." Quatre pointed out. He had been sure to remember to keep the river location in the back of his mind. He couldn't keep track of what turns they made or where, but he kept his justification at least.

"Are you sure…"

"Yes." Quatre replied bluntly.

"Onward ho." Wufei said, moving in the direction of Quatre's still outstretch finger with as much vigor as he could muster.

Quatre blazed, moving branches, stepping over gopher holes and plowing over fallen branches and brush. It was hard work, and they got snagged far too many times to count. They moved so fast, a snail passed them and they couldn't catch the license plate.

Finally, they reached a game trail, the winding path between trees rough and hard, but almost recognizable as a route. Whoever said the path of least resistance was less fruitful never had screaming legs, pounding ears, and exhausted lungs. They took to the trail quickly once they found it headed approximately the same direction they needed.

"You and Trowa seemed to be getting along well. Are you sure you don't have his tonsils still?" Wufei teased off handed once they had both gotten their breath under minimal control and were making tracks towards the boats as quick as their exhaustion would let them.

Quatre turned four shades short of neon pink and found a burst of energy to propel him away from Wufei's smirk. "So did you and Treize, if I remember correctly." Quatre shot back.

Wufei matched Quatre's color in record time. With a triumphant smirk, Quatre punched Wufei's arm heartily. "You don't honestly doubt his feelings for you, do you? It's obvious to blind people he's crazy about you. And you two work so well together."

Wufei snorted, "No. It seems silly to think he'd be with Une. I just haven't seen him for a while, he works as a Trial Guide and Ranger here all summer, and then I saw that and I just… I don't know…"

"Blew things out of proportions?" Quatre supplied, enjoying the turn for the better in his friends attitude.

"I do NOT blow things out of proportion. I may have come to incorrect initial conclusions, but I don't blow things out of proportion." Wufei snarled back, flinging the rogue hair from his proud face, still flushed slightly.

Right, Treize had said Wufei had incurable pride. "Sure you don't 'Fei. Sure. Let's just get to the canoes and get the hell outa dodge." Quatre blew out, his whole head dead tired but he knew they still had a rough paddle ahead and no time to dawdle.

Wufei slowed, almost to a stop and starred at Quatre, blinking myopically, "Did you, Quatre Winner, just conversationally swear? Or am I just hallucinating?"

Quatre turned and stuck his tongue out, and spat out "We're almost there, loser."

A pinecone connected with Quatre's head and bounced off harmlessly to the ground.

* * *

"Heero, I don't feel so good." Duo moaned, pressed deep into Heero's shoulder and feeling all the bounces and jangles as his boyfriend ran all out. Heero had Duo in a bridal carry, and across the uneven, danger-riddled, muddy forest floor, Duo felt each twitch. With another stomach pitching lurch, Duo cursed the gophers again.

"We're almost there, Shini." Heero replied for the hundredth time. He was listening carefully to his lover until his voice gave that last warning signal that he was really going to puke and not just whine about it before Heero would stop. Heero knew Alex had taken flight after he and Duo. It was a hard chase, and with Duo's arm broken and his wits not all back together yet, Duo couldn't run like the others. Heero had hauled Duo up and sprinted and second he had let go of lover-boy-Trowa's collar and sent him in a separate direction.

Alex must've seen the flashing neon 'easy prey' sign that was attached to Duo's head from a mile away, because he was all over them like peanut butter on toast.

Heero proved even smarter than the bag of nails that Alex lost to in trivia pursuit when he jumped a ditch and turned back to circle around, watching with baited breath from a rather thick shrubbery as the dumbass went right on by.

They all knew Alex had the Devil's luck, but it seemed that it ran thin this time.

But Heero wasn't taking any chances, and he continued towards the boats still too quickly for Duo's stomach to stop its protestations.

* * *

The damn rat with wings was shrieking like a fire engine, broadcasting his location to an eight mile radius.

Trowa cursed all flying rodent wildlife again as he caught the tell-tale crunch of pursuit behind him. Whoever was so close he could practically feel breath down his back. Although, he knew whomever really was far enough away that they hadn't been able to get a visual on him, or he'd be dead with a bullet hole by now.

He dashed through another thick bramble of brush and slammed into a wall of rock. It was another cave.

Trowa ducked inside and took to the wall. Be hoped to hell for a little luck, he needed enough time to at least silence the bat before he could move and the cave was his best and last hope.

Ready since the last incident, Trowa pulled out the syringe he had in his wallet sized medical kit, already loaded with the bat tranquilizers and full enough for one shot.

Holding the cage steady with his thighs as he crouched over it, he wrenched open the door to grab the flailing, screeching, bitch and slammed that sharp little needle into her stomach and compressed the stopper.

He shoved the bat back in with all the displeasure she was evoking in him. Slamming the cage door closed again, the thing still screaming (it took a few minutes for the tranqs to work) Trowa got back up and continued to run through the cave, figuring the cave came out close to the canoes. That was, if he was in the cave he thought he was in, anyway.

It was no surprise when Trowa heard the echoing pound of feet chasing him. Securing the cage to be as motionless as he could, (He'd hate to see the bat fall asleep and be flung and banged off the bars in her cage and die, therefore defeating the purpose of this whole expedition and making it cream of bat soup material) he sprung off the rock floor and moved as quietly as he could into the shadows.

A few minutes later Trowa flung himself out into the light of the forest, bounding into the tree line without a fire engine beacon and flew over the terrain towards the canoes, his friends, and hopefully away from the tragic trio.

Leaning up against a thick tree, about 60 years old, his brain supplied, Treize panted out his numbing pain and exhaustion. He was gasping for breath and needing just a touch more from his body; just enough to get to the canoes.

Thankful for no pursuit, Treize gulped another greedy mouthful of air and pushed himself away from the tree, leaving a red smear on its majestic bark. He stumbled on, eyes set towards the beach and using every ounce of energy and grit he had just to keep moving. One foot in front of the other was making him tremble in effort. But he could hear the river and smell the wetness just beyond his location. If he could just make it there on his own, he would be fine.

* * *

Duo felt his lover slow, then set him to the ground, careful of his broken arm. They were the first to arrive.

Heero, mouth grim, surveyed the beach.

"What 'Ro?" Duo's voice trembled. He couldn't see much from his location, but his boyfriend looked disappointed. And when Heero Yuy physically displayed something other than anger, something was very wrong.

Heero turned to his love and nodded curtly to try and reassure him. Then Duo was positive something really, really bad happened.

"The boats are slashed." Heero deadpanned.

The wreckage was strewn all over the beach. Their two canoes were flipped upside down and gaping holes and vicious scars criss-crossed the sides. The boats were unusable without a doubt.

Their gear peppered the beach, small pieces of this and that ripped or broken mixed in with the sand and if the red flailing piece of material snagged to a tree branch was the remnants of Heero and Duo's sleeping bag, as Duo figured it was probably shredded too. Their gear was flung even into the brush. Their med supplies were strewn about the beach, a syringe sticking out of the sand and clothes and food packs were littering the beach like an inner-city park. It was disgusting to see the beauty of the wilderness turned to a garbage dump.

The snap of a twig was all the warning they got and Heero produced his pistol and aimed.

Thankfully Heero's logic won over his shock at seeing the disaster long enough to tell him this was the meeting spot for his group, and the sound was probably a friend.

When Trowa slammed into the sun from the darkness of the foliage he stopped so fast that his body rocked with the propulsion. Heero smirked; Trowa always had run far too fast in his opinion (anyone who could beat Heero in a race was just too fast, of course).

After Trowa realized he had made his destination so quickly and took a lightning visual of the area he flicked his eyes to Heero. "What's salvageable?" Trowa asked.

Heero snapped completely back to himself and replied, "Still verifying. The canoes are useless. Gear: questionable." Curt and too the point. It would've been rude to say to anyone else, but Trowa just grunted and began to pick up the litter, checking it and throwing the useless towards the broken canoes, keeping an ever-growing pile of the simply displaced in his arms.

Heero found the dumping ground of all their packs, sans gear of course but surprisingly not slashed, and threw one of the empty shells to Trowa to deposit his keep in.

Duo used his good arm to claw at the tree trunk, hauling himself up onto his wobbly legs. He wasn't paralyzed after all, and the piercing, throbbing, incapacitating pain that emanated from his untreated broken arm had numbed during his non-jostled rest. As long as Duo didn't move his arm, he could walk. And in situations like these every little bit counted.

Deciding to move it the opposite direction of the others, Duo surveyed the beach and kicked and stooped to check the contents. He wasn't as tidy as Trowa and Heero and just left the useless bits of material where they lay instead of just moving them to a new spot where the wind would blow them back anyway. Duo was ready to give up and move towards Tro and 'Ro since all that was on that part of the beach was wind-blown bits, when he spotted a miracle. Running towards what he saw he re-evaluated his choice of words: It was a miracle for them, but absolute stupidity on the part of the three stooges.

"Guys, You'll never believe what tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber did! Merry Christmas. We have ourselves some canoes!" he exclaimed loud enough for the boys to hear but not enough to echo.

Hands full and expressions disbelieving, Heero and Trowa catapulted over to the source for Duo's voice and their jaw's dropped.

There, lying hardly disguised under a few branches were Nichol's two canoes, paddles, and the secondary gear they had left inside. "Thank you, Santa" Trowa replied. He had somehow made peace with lady-luck and she was being benevolent today.

"Lets get these moved, get our gear in them, and sort while we wait for the others. I want to be on the water when the last person breaches the tree line." Heero ordered, grabbing one end of the canoe while Trowa grabbed the other and together they hauled it to the water's edge.


	21. hostage

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**Chapter 20: Hostage**

Treize slumped against a big oak. His locked knees were the only thing that kept him upright, but he stumbled again and found himself kissing bark. It was getting harder and harder to continue, but he knew he wasn't far from the meeting spot. The water sounds were just out of his reach and when he made it to water he could follow the river to the canoes.

When they all scattered to loose Nichol and his men, Treize went directly for the meeting spot. He knew with his wound that he wouldn't be able to move like the others and would only slow their departure if he wound his way around. None of the Terrified Trio followed him, thankfully, and he made haste towards his goal. Unfortunately, his haste was just past the crawl of an exhausted two year old, and in the almost hour he'd been moving he was just now coming upon the water's edge.

There was a snap of twigs behind him, and all his senses sharpened (to that of a butter-knife, he added mentally). He could hear muttered curses and vicious swipes at trees. It was probably one of the three idiots. But whoever it was didn't sound happy, and calling them whatever names he chose still didn't make them any less dangerous.

There was no where to hide, and even if there was, he could barely move to get there. He hugged the tree and stilled, hoping he would be looked over.

"You let them slip through our fingers, again!" Nichol shouted. Alex shot the branch he had been breaking away and waited for the satisfying crack. But none came. Feeling gypped and angry he walked over, determined to find his stick and break it in eight for not snapping right the first damn time! But his stick had found a more interesting target than the tree, it seemed.

"Well, hello there." He smirked and aimed his gun at the sweat-soaked forehead of a very weak prey.

Nichol was still berating Muller and Alex was more than happy to interrupt, "I found us a hostage."

Nichol looked up from verbally beating Muller to see Alex cocking his gun towards a stray one of the rangers, who was leaning heavily against a tree. The ranger looked injured, shot in the shoulder by one of them it seemed. And the tall tree-hugger seemed to be loosing a lot of blood, he didn't even have the energy to run when Alex had taken his eyes off him to point him out.

With a devilish smirk, Nichol grabbed Treize's wounded arm and pulled him off the tree. "Alex take one side, Muller take the other. Let's get him to our boats."

"The others won't stop because of me. Our mission is more important than one person. They WILL leave without me." Treize rasped out, the pain in his shoulder reaching torturous proportions as Muller's bulk propped him up on his injured side and Alex grabbed him from under his other arm, neither having an ounce of compassion for a wounded man, obviously. He was already on the cusp of unconsciousness and even a little jostle would pull him over, he was sure. But he was able to keep coherent by a thread, able to here Nichol.

"Funny thing: They never left Blondie, now did they?"

Treize had no retort.

Trowa hauled the newly packed gear into the newly repossessed canoes. In true earth-loving recycling fashion, they had rummaged through the Tragic Trio's stuff and discarded the redundant sub-standard equipment. (And Duo decided to dangle the group's underwear off the cliff with a precariously balanced branch, but that was only after they had time to burn). Neither Treize, nor Quatre and Wufei had shown up yet; Trowa, Heero and Duo were starting to worry. The three at the meeting spot had had time to repack, re-organize, patch up Duo as best Trowa could, and even fix some of the ruined equipment. They were all set to launch the second everyone arrived. They had been set for almost half and hour now and the burning time was starting to make them antsy.

A twig snapped and the labored drag and shuffle of feet echoed from the bush for minutes. Both Heero and Trowa had cocked the handguns they had found in the other group's canoes at the spot in the trees where the sound was coming from, but with that amount of noise there was no way whomever it was shuffling towards them was even trying to conceal their position, and therefore had to have been an ally. A wet, heaving cough flashed a warning light-- but of an injured comrade, not danger.

Trowa and Heero lowered their weapons. Heero took the sound as a cue to set Duo into the canoe while they still had the time, and Trowa moved towards the brush to lend a hand.

None of them expected the vicious click of a cocking gun pointed right between Trowa's eyes.

Nichol ordered Alex and Muller to haul Treize to where they knew the other's had their boats. Treize was nothing but a stumbling, bleeding, rag doll under their arms and was trying his hardest to slow Nichol and his group by refusing to support his own weight even a little. But the two brutes were as strong as their saucer sized arms portrayed and neither hardly faltered in their step. Treize had to make due with dragging his feet across the brush as noisily as he could to give his friends any sort of warning.

But the astonishment in Trowa's eyes as he saw the gun barrel pointed at him proved his last ditch attempt was in vain. At least he had been able to rest for a few minutes while being dragged to their camp.

Trowa dashed backwards, his innate grace the only thing that prevented him from falling on his ass right away when he hit a tree limb. He stumbled back onto the beach, catching himself on his knees and found Heero's gun pointing towards him, then the forest as Heero realized something was not right.

Nichol grinned in triumph, holding his gun to the temple of the paramedic ranger as he moved onto the beach, expecting to see the rest of the group forlorn and stranded amongst their broken boats and scattered gear. He was sorely disappointed to see they were fully packed and ready to set off...with THEIR CANOES! He hadn't thought of that. But Nichol would never let that past his arrogant appearance. Once the psycho-Jap and the goody-goody ranger boy saw who held all the cards they began to loose that control of theirs. As if they had any to begin with.

"Better put that gun down, Psycho-Jap." Alex brayed, jiggling the unresponsive form of their friend until he hissed in pain and regained consciousness. Heero lowered his gun, but didn't drop it.

"Smart, taking our canoes. Smart. But not smart enough." Nichol boasted. Trowa would've laughed in his face over the cliché if he wasn't sure Treize would pay for it.

"Give us the bat and we'll give you your friend back." Nichol bargained with a god-like smile.

"Bullshit." Duo spat. He was stuck inside the middle of the canoe, gear packed in around him and unable to even lift himself out with his one arm out of commission. He was a sitting duck, but he refused to be a wallflower.

Trowa stood and the second gun Alex held followed him dangerously and took that time to formulate a plan. Trowa looked at him over the barrel and saw Alex's eyes glimmer with manic excitement. Trowa had nothing. His quick thinking was floundering. Heero's silence and look of sheer astonishment spoke of his similar problem. They had foreseen this circumstance only in theory, and they couldn't just do as they had all said and leave Treize and go, for one. And they had guns aimed at them too! Trowa had no clue how even to begin to work this situation.

Then he saw movement behind Alex.

Quatre and Wufei heard hard rustling movement on the beach before them and froze in their progression. Quatre had lead Wufei along the edge of the river, on the edge of the cliff (After jumping from one, it didn't bother him in the crippling sort of way heights had before). Quatre still clutched Wufei's arm enough to leave a permanent purple bruise alright, but he kept on track. They had seen the take-out point quickly, figuring only Duo would hang underwear off a cliff as a signal flag. They didn't know who owned said briefs, but they were glad it was neither of theirs.

They were reaching the brush when they heard someone fall, and then Nichol's voice. Quatre and Wufei froze, waiting to see what would happen. Wufei maneuvered them around back, 'to cut off the three's retreat' Quatre was sure, despite Wufei's claim it was 'to see better'.

The two crept up and snatched views from behind. But they couldn't see anything... until one step to the left and everything was clear.

Wufei dashed out like a madman, running out of the bush and knocking Alex, whose gun was at his lover's head, to the ground with a flying tackle. Treize had slumped down to the side like a dead man, setting Muller off balance and bringing him to the ground with him.

The three were heaped upon the gravelly sand, Muller and Alex cursing and Wufei hitting and kicking whatever part of them he could reach.

Nichol, caught completely off guard and spooked, swung around and let off a shot into the sand, missing the melee completely. Fortunately, Nichols movement put him within Trowa's range and facing another direction. Trowa swung; a right hook aimed straight for Nichol's face. But Nichol had already begun to spin around franticly. Trowa's assault only cuffed Nichol's shoulder. Nichol, showing some startling degree of actual ability, reflexively plunged his unoccupied fist into Trowa's gut. Trowa flew to the ground spectacularly, caught completely off guard and winded.

It took Nichol a shocked millisecond to realize he had a gun, and aimed at the sucker-punched ranger. Nichol was going to kill the bastard now, rules or no rules. Theses damn rangers had defied him and made him look like an unprepared child since the outset, and Nichol decided there and then not to let the boys live. Trowa was gasping for air right in front of him, and he took aim.

Nichol's eyes went dull and rolled into the back of his head before he slumped to his knees and kissed the dirt.

Behind where Nichol's bulk had been, stood a sobbing, wide-eyed Quatre, a rock white-knuckle-clutched in a trembling, bloodied hand. Quatre dropped the rock as if bitten and flung himself beside Trowa on the ground, urging him up by the shoulders with terrified words.

Trowa sputtered and coughed, and grabbed onto Quatre's bicep to steady himself. His head spun and the ground was flowing before his eyes with sea-sick waves of nausea. Quatre's trembling hands trying to shake him out of it weren't helping, but his terrified sobbing voice was. He grabbed onto his arm that, while not completely stable, was at least stationary, and took a hold of himself. He could hear a scuffle still going on and he needed to help-

"Freeze." Heero's deadly cold voice ordered and all of them obeyed, whoever they were.

Alex and Muller, both trying to pin the slippery Wufei, looked straight forward. Starring at about knee level from their prone positions the two lifted their eyes up legs, past waist and saw Heero's snarl. Heero drew his foot back and let loose a boot to Muller's face as hard a field-goal kick and sent him flying off his friend.

Alex was subjected to a bone breaking punch to the jaw from Wufei, who was on his back beneath him, followed by a knee to a certain place of Alex's anatomy, just to be sure he rolled off of Wufei.

"Move!" Heero bellowed and shoved Wufei towards the canoes and then grabbed one of Treize's arms and hauled him off the ground, leaving blood soaked sand in his place.

Trowa used Quatre to get himself standing and then pulled Quatre to his feet. Within a second Trowa was under Treize's other arm and hauling him to their canoe, and Wufei was lifting Treize's legs in. Wufei hauled himself up and over into the canoe and seated himself at the back, calling for his lover's head and cradling him in his lap. Heero, once relieved of the burden of Treize, flew to his boyfriend and crawled in behind, puling oars out.

Trowa grabbed the front of the boat Wufei and Treize occupied and stopped short of hauling the boat out. Quatre stood shakily just a foot away, dazed and in shock on the verge of a panic attack, it seemed. They did not have time for that shit! "Grab Heero's boat, haul it out of the shallow and jump in. He needs an oarer in front. Now." Trowa hollered and jumped into his canoe.

Quatre snapped from his daze, and in a flash he was back, eyes hard and grabbing the stern with all his might. Digging his feet into the shifting sands he pushed and sloshed until the boat glided without resistance. He gripped both sides and pushed himself up, getting his ass inside and then with a steadying pull from Duo's good hand, the rest of his body followed. Before Quatre even realized, he was digging into the water and pushing the boat forwards, Heero's sturdy thrusts from the end of the boat pistoned them forward to the wide open river and within moments they were soaring over water like a figure skater on ice.

"We're in Nichol, Alex, and Muller's boats, right?" Duo asked breaking the quiet after a while.

"Yes, Duo. They slashed ours to strand us." Heero replied as if educating a two year old. Trowa nodded as well from the front seat in the other boat, which glided almost neck and neck with Heero and Quatre's.

"Now THEY are stranded." Duo said, "They can't come after us. We have the bat and can head straight for camp now. We're, what, A Day's hard paddling away? We don't have to trek through the forest anymore. We can take the first shoot back to the main river and off we'll be. The three can't follow because they can't swim it."

Wufei caught on to Duo's line of thought, "We're home free." Wufei stroked Treize's hair, and wrapped himself around his sleeping lover gently. Heero smirked and grabbed Duo's braid, pulling him back to Heero's mouth and grinding their lips together in celebration.

Trowa smiled, and, taking a big breath, let loose a feral howl.

Quatre giggled, stopping his paddling to let the current take the boat for a bit. He felt a large hand tousle his hair from the side and found Trowa reaching across the river from his boat, almost crashing against Quatre's. A second later Trowa pushed off again with a warm smile. "Did anyone ELSE see Nichol go down?" Trowa baited the group. "Quatre nailed him! It was just WHAM and down he went. I was just about to be shot and then Nichol..." Trowa recited the tale, to everyone's amusement.

"You got the balls, all you need is the follow through, Blondie." Duo said from behind him, "I saw you and if you woulda' meant it, ol Nichol wouldn't be getting back up. You need to learn to knock one without holding back. I'll have 'ta... Heero! I can't use my arm, You teach him how to punch!" Duo ordered.

Quatre went pale, picturing Heero teaching, Heero's fist, Heero's fist flying towards him, "Uh... No thanks."

The laughter sent birds up all around them this time.


	22. reuniting with the tour

**Wilderness**

By _DentelleNoir_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

**Warning: **Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

**Chapter 21: Reuniting with the tour**

Dusk crept up on the six canoeists and brought with it fresh worries. Treize began to float in and out of consciousness. Wufei had been able to stop the ooze of blood from his boyfriend's gun shot wound with the medical supplies they had on the boats, but stuck inside the canoe with Treize and Trowa, there was only so much they could do. Treize had already lost so much blood that he was deathly pale and had hardly enough energy to keep his eyes open. Wufei could only bear to let him close his eyes for a few minutes at a time before he tried to bring him back around. Every time was getting harder and harder.

"It's getting dark. We've usually already made camp by now." Heero said quietly, watching his boyfriend's arm lay limp across his chest with the sling Trowa had fixed on him. They couldn't correct the injuries where they were. Treize would've been able, had he been capable, but Duo's injuries were the least of the team's worries.

"Can we canoe through the dark?" Quatre asked innocently, "We have flashlights. And any time we can save could be critical, wouldn't it?"

Everyone looked to Heero. It was dangerous to paddle in the dark; rapids were deadly, getting lost was incredibly easy because of the many off-shoots from the river camouflaged by the dark, landmarks were almost impossible to spot, and if one could see them, they never looked the same. Could you canoe in the dark? The Usual answer was: No way in hell. But Quatre was understating the time emphasis. They were only a few hours from a ranger station, and if they could get there they would be able to radio for air ambulance. Their radio had been smashed to bits on the shore and the radios they carried to the cave weren't strong enough to call to the lodge, which was the closest dispatch.

Heero considered, and Treize coughed, a spit of red marring the material Wufei held to him mouth. "We paddle on. Everyone keep a good eye out." Heero ordered immediately.

* * *

Muller woke first and rolled around in pain for a few moments. His jaw was a black-purple that radiated all the way across his cheek and faded to disgusting yellow by his eye. Heero's foot had rocked him so hard he was infinitely glad to be still able to breathe, despite the pain of it. Worried for his brother, Muller crawled over to him and shook his still body. The blood that had flowed from Alex's broken nose had stopped a while ago, leaving a coagulated clump of blood and sand between Alex's face and the ground. Muller shook him frantically, thinking he was dead. He was plotting revenge, not sure who had hurt his brother but betting on the Jap, when Alex's arm swung out and knocked Muller in the leg.

"Stop." Alex ground out, his voice gravelly and dry. He spit out some of the gravel actually in his mouth and shook his head, then the dull ache from his nose flared back to an agony. "The little China Fuck broke my nose!" Alex's voice was muffled and high, his hand pressing on his abused nose. Muller, knowing his brother was too much of a baby to do it himself, moved his hands and gave the broken nose a good crack to relocate it. Alex yelled like a child and just about took his brother's head off, but Alex was in too much pain to aim right through his tears, and missed.

The howl was enough to stir Nichol. He gradually swayed into consciousness with the words of his two lackeys. They were commenting on the other's injuries, it seemed. Nichol tried to move, first his fingers and then his toes. Confident he was not paralyzed and noticing he was not trapped under something that could potentially kill him if he moved, he tried moving around. Nothing really hurt at all. He tried to remember what had happened, but all he could remember was getting ready to shoot the funny-haired forest ranger and then nothing. No, he amended, the pain from his head and then nothing. One of the little asses had knocked him from behind.

Nichol lifted an arm from the sand, heavy from disuse, and felt the back of his head. There was a huge crust of dried blood down the back of his skull, and the pain flared to life the second he touched it. He would kill whoever did it. He wasn't sure who, but the Jap came to mind. Everyone else had been busy at the time.

Nichol hauled himself off the ground, moving towards the river. Alex and Muller noticed him them. Nichol crawled towards the river and dunked his head in, letting the current take out the worst of the blood. A few seconds later he felt a hand helping to break the clumps up and found Muller, face half black and blue, helping. "We'll get them, Boss." Muller said with confidence. It was inspiring despite its lack of validity.

Nichol, with help, sat himself on the sand and took stock. The forest ranger had outfoxed them with the first bat and got back to his group. They lost the second bat. They lost their boats, therefore they lost their way home and their way back to their boss. And they had lost the rangers. The boss was going to be mad.

"There is no way short of miraculously cutting them off and killing them all, and the bat, before they reached the lodge that will help now. The 'make it look like an accident' rule is only a secondary option now, boys. Shoot if you have the shot. We're going to stop them." Nichol voiced.

"How are we supposed to stop them? Wave a flag that says 'please stop here'? They won't get off the river and they'll coast right into the lodge without ever giving us the opportunity!" Alex raged.

Nichol's mouth curved up into a wolf's smile that sent shivers down the spine of Alex and Muller. He had a plan.

He always had a plan.

* * *

The light was so far below horizon that it served only to throw the shapes of the trees and natural things into grotesque and disfigured shadows. It was far too dark to be without camp, let alone still be on the river. But, two canoes were.

Despite the darkness, Quatre dug that paddle in hard and pulled back, savoring the resistance. After a few more strokes it was almost completely black. With no city lights and forest shielding the dim moonlight, the darkness was absolute. The group continued to paddle; just paddle. No one seemed to speak, no one seemed to move, and breath was taken sparingly, just because of the eerie atmosphere. The forest around them was far from silent. It virtually screamed with animals waking from the day's sleep to move about the forest of the night. They continued to paddle, the moon had risen enough to make the river glow like onyx sliding beneath their oars, and each splash brought them nearer. But...

They had expected to reach the lodge by then.

But it was no where to be seen. And they could all vouch that the lodge's floodlights, two on each of its four sides, stayed lit all night; visible for miles. They had seen no floodlights. And even if the current was slowing them, as they had assumed it must've been, they were still not within visual range.

Duo's voice was mouse-quiet, matching Quatre's own weariness in the area, "We should have seen something by now. Pull out the map, 'Ro. The river is too narrow." It seemed as though the trees were reaching closer and closer across the pitch black night towards their canoe. Quatre mentally thanked Duo very much for that observation as well, because he didn't have enough creeps running up and down his spine to begin with.

The flashlight that clicked to life behind Quatre was so bright to him that the landscape became vacant. He couldn't see a damn thing because the bright light forced his eyes to receive light, effectively shutting off his night vision. Now he understood why they hadn't turned the flashlight on inside the boat before. They had taped a light onto the very tip of each boat to shine dully on the water just a bit in front the canoes to show any snares or obstacles, but they shone so far away from eyes that Quatre hadn't realized one good beam of light could blind him! The main river was not supposed to have any obstacles, but one could never be too sure, as Trowa had said when taping up the light in front of Quatre. It was a good thing they had those lights, though-- they had dodged four such non-existent stationary obstacles in the last two hours. Quatre thanked Duo, again, for bringing up the possibility of being lost.

"I'm telling you 'Ro. WE are NOT there." Duo said, poking the map that was unfolded across his chest, "I don't care what you say and however you factored in your so-called 'drag' effect, which is not as strong as this water is going anyway. We are not where the map says we are. The water is too shallow and too narrow to be there," Duo poked at the same spot on the map, "and if we were there, we should be able to see the Lodge, if not tripped over it, by now. Face it, 'Ro. We turned down an off-shoot somewhere."

Heero scowled so hard, even in the black where Quatre could barely see his hand in front of her face, that scowl raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

"We didn't turn." Heero said resolutely. "The main river is almost arrow straight from where we got in. We would've known if we turned. I didn't feel a turn... Did anyone else feel a turn?" Heero quizzed honestly. But Heero was so sure of himself that Quatre was second guessing his own instinct. He had been sure the canoes had drifted west almost an hour ago...

"I don't know Heero..." That was Trowa's voice, frighteningly close to Quatre and still disembodied. "But my directional sense is more visual that innate. Ask Quatre, he's never gotten lost."

Quatre's toes curled to keep the panic out of his face. He hated being on the spot, especially with Heero being the one second guessed. Heero wasn't exactly Quatre's greatest fan still, and if Quatre was wrong—he didn't want to think about that. But everyone was looking at him, Heero's flashlight was on his face and he could feel the eyes of Trowa, Wufei, and Treize in the other boat, even if he couldn't see them. They were all waiting for an answer, "Well... Um... I don't exactly know... I'm no expert..."

"Treize. Is. Dying." Wufei spoke, having not said a word since they left the beach, and sounded so deadly cold that it froze Quatre's blood, "he needs help two hours ago. Tell him, Quatre."

"About an hour ago we were drifting west, I thought it was just how the river went and thought nothing of it. We've also been weaving further west since then." Quatre let out in a woosh, too frightened to look Heero in the eye and hoping Trowa would pity him and pull him back into the boat once Heero tried to drown him.

"That would be... this shoot." Heero said just as casually as before, no murderous intent and not even an ounce of bitterness. Quatre let his eyes open from a tense squint. He twisted his head back to see Heero marking out the length of the shoot and how far they were, his fingers walking the measured distance across the map. Quatre got a good glimpse of the map this time because the light wasn't shining directly on its water-proof plastic covering to make the markings white. The off-shoot Heero was tracing went far into the forest and then eventually curled back into the main river, overshooting the lodge by miles.

Heero was too engrossed in his navigation to swear, so Quatre did. "Fuck."

"That's the most of it." Heero responded dryly, but with a hint of a smile.

The night was silent, the canoes both following the lolling current without paddling.

"How bad?" Trowa said after a while, this time his voice was behind Quatre, closer to Heero, and if he squinted, he could just make out the outline of Trowa's shoulders craned over towards the map.

Heero calmly put his hands down and starred into the darkness where Trowa probably was, "By my calculations, it would be faster to go back the same way we came and take the main river again, about two hours, maybe three lost on paddling."

"Damn." Echoed through everyone's head.

"But if we continue the way we are, we'll overshoot by a half hour paddle at our destination, and we'll have another four hours rough paddling ahead of us, and probably a portage around one set, at least. With two injured we couldn't portage. With Wufei and Quatre as inexperienced and, again, two injured, we couldn't do the rapids either." Heero explained.

"Isn't there some sort of trail, maybe? A short cut back to the river?" Duo asked hopeful.

"Solid walking only. We can't carry the canoes, and Treize, and expect to make it to the main river. And certainly not in this light. It is night, walking unprotected in the forest at night is stupid enough; with our hindrances it'd be suicide.

Heero didn't even need to give the order, Wufei was turning the other canoe as soon as Heero stopped speaking. Heero turned as well, dipping his paddle in and wrenching it through the water with a new vigor. Wufei was paddling so hard that Quatre was sweating just trying to keep up with the other boat; its tail bobbing in and out of the circle of light cast from the front of Quatre's canoe. Duo handed Quatre an energy bar and, with courtesy of the one stuck not able to help, he sacrificed his headphones --a bendable plastic sort that sat behind Quatre's neck instead of over his head-- to Quatre. The food and the pulsing beat from the one commodity Duo insisted on, spurned Quatre's exhaustion-numbed arms on somehow. Heero and him were actually able to keep the tip of Trowa and Wufei's canoe in their 'headlight'... but only just.

* * *

Milly awoke just as the sun's light began to peak over the horizon, not even the sun itself could be seen up, but Milly was. He began his morning like most when with a tour. He plugged the coffee machine into the little generator and poured some river water in it to boil. He dressed and combed his perfect locks. He made it a point to 'accidentally' kick Jerry, the idiot jock who had made it a point to bad mouth anyone homosexual since the rangers had left, and then went to calling for a breakfast jeep, watching in satisfaction as the jock turned to see the sun not even out, swore something awful, and tried to hide himself in the massive folds of his sleeping bag. Milly may not have been legally allowed to take the boy down or show the opposite of preferential treatment, but he could still make his life hell in untraceable ways.

He sat down with a juice and got ready to do some of the travel-log work, prepared for a good hour and some before even the earliest to wake began to stir. What he didn't expect was the thundering roar of a Jeep tearing through the woods at an unhealthy speed. It was still mostly dark, and Milly knew night driving in the forest, where the roads (if they had them) were less than stellar, was deadly. Even in an emergency, no one should be going that fast, that early, even close to the Lodge as they were. They were only a day's trip away from the lodge, (only one day's trip more until this disaster was off his hands). Their trip was days shorter because of the illness and other circumstances, but they were going to be handsomely compensated anyway. He wanted them gone ASAP!

The vacationers began to take notice of the disturbance as well. The light sleepers were propped on their elbows, heads scanning the forest for the source of the noise and the rest of the group was beginning to stir.

But the noise became louder and closer as the seconds past.

Then a set of headlights broke the tree line, bearing down upon the clearing with vicious speed. The jeep itself, a dented and dirty red thing that bore a disfigured ranger logo on it's doors, broke the tree line, smashing through the proud little oaks with a vengeance and coming to a screaming, sand-kicking, donut-turning halt right in front of Milly and the cluster of sleeping bags. Milly slid the little hand held radio into his front pocket and stood to meet the jeep, hopeful that he could help.

But everyone in those sleeping bags awoke quickly when from out of the Jeep came two very big, very strong, and very beaten looking men leveling riffles at them, the whispered 'click' of the safety being turned off echoed in the silenced clearing and the snide voice of a third man, standing on the driver's seat and leaning against the free-standing window with a cocky smile, boomed into everyone's ears.

"You are now our hostages. Move and we will fire."

Feeling was a luxury Quatre hadn't had for a while, and the while the numb aching pain he could feel in his chest was not fun, the sheer lack of feeling in his arms and in his frozen legs was quite frightening. But Treize had gone quiet hours ago; as the sun began to rise Treize's coughs had muffled until Quatre could hear nothing from his canoe, even as they were side by side with the other.

Quatre knew, though, that his weariness was nothing different than everyone else's. Trowa, Quatre knew, was shouldering the weight of most of the paddling in his boat, still keeping up with Heero and Quatre while Wufei needed to stop paddling to take care of Treize. And Trowa, Quatre had thought, was worse off than he was letting on. His eyes had an unfocused look -like when he woke from unconsciousness- and Quatre had thought he heard Trowa's head hit against a rock or something when he rolled from those bullets, catching Quatre after his jump. Heero too, seemed physically up to snuff, but Quatre knew that he was not as strong as he was letting on. He too had taken a bad shock when Duo fell and Quatre was sure Heero had carried Duo through the forest, straining his arms to a more intolerable limit than he told the rest of them. Quatre could feel sometimes the canoe lagging behind while Quatre knew he hadn't changed his paddling strength. Heero was sore more than Quatre was, he was sure. But, no one was worse off then Treize.

Quatre knew in his bones though, that Treize's very life was in the hands of the group and no one else. Quatre was one of them, too, and he had to not only pull his own weight but pull as much as he could of Treize's. Treize had befriended him and helped Quatre when he needed it, and now Quatre would, hell -had to-, return the favor. Quatre was coming to understand why they were such a close-knit group. Out in the wilderness each person relied on himself and his comrades for his very life. There could be no egos out here, and no petty arguments, it was a do-or-die atmosphere to the nth degree.

The sun had risen, it was just peeking out from beyond the horizon, but it was a relief none the less since they could make out where they were. Everyone could recognize the building, only a dot at their distance, but steadily growing, that sat atop a cliff overlooking the river. They would be at the lodge in less than an hour and get help. But they still had to keep their strength up for that hour.

Quatre noticed about the same time as everyone else: On the shore of the river stood Milly, with a very tall form close behind him on the beach. Milly was waving a paddle at them, moving it in sharp angles toward the shore. That was outdoor sign language, warning them to dock; there was an obstacle up ahead.

No one saw anything. Heero and Trowa began to whisper back and forth, gesturing and making half words before the other could finish. Quatre couldn't have followed if he had a manual, they were going so quick between the two!

But Duo could follow, it seemed, "If Milly is there than he has a radio and we can call for the ambulance from his camp. It's a helicopter from the airport; it won't care whether it has to go four more miles here or to the lodge to get Treize. Besides, we can get Jeeps to this take out point in minutes. Why the hell would Milly call us over if there really wasn't danger ahead?" Duo practically screamed.

Both Wufei and Heero dug their paddles in to make a 90 degree turn the moment Duo shut his mouth; the decision made.

The canoes began to slide into the sand in the shallow, Milly all but raced to the boats much further out than needed and much quicker than comfortable. The second he was out of reach from the shore, his back to the camp, he pulled a radio out from his pocket, and as discreetly as possible, turned it on, "Milly and tour group at Check Point One, we need help, ASAP. Hostage situation." He rushed into the receiver to the shock of the rangers.

Sparing not a second to explain, Milly grabbed the front of both canoes, a fierce glint in his eyes. "GO!" He screamed, pushing the canoes back out onto the water in the blink of an eye, as the two hulking forms realized something wasn't right and pounded towards him. The two guys, recognizable as Alex and Muller hit Milly from behind, sending him to the water.

Heero and Trowa were the quickest to react, pistoning their paddles into the water and giving a mighty heave backwards. But with the current against them and their second rowers not as quick on the uptake they were overtaken. Alex and Muller each grabbed the tip of a canoe and, using their feet dug deep into the sand at the bottom, hauled the boats back into the shallow with more power than the paddlers could muster in a lightning moment. Alex and Miller were stupid, but they were god damned strong!

The two canoes were shredding sand on the beach in a matter of moments. Confined inside the narrow canoes, with injured, gear, and paddles, all four of the able-bodied were helpless to do a damn thing (except Trowa, who was able to bruise Muller's knuckles with the paddle, but they were on shore by then).

Nichol walked up and pointed his gun in the middle of Trowa's forehead, Alex taking the hint and grabbing a riffle and pointing it towards Heero. Muller was too busy nursing his purpling hand to back them up. "The bat, gentleman, please?"

"FUCK YOU!" Duo screamed, trapped worse than anyone else, not even able to move his arm to haul himself up to a sitting position.

Alex snarled and wrapped his hand around Duo's braid, yanking him up hard and vicious. The gear packed around him flew out from its place and tumbled onto the beach where Alex threw Duo down, still clutching his braid and aiming the gun barrel at his forehead.

What he didn't realize was that by removing Duo, who had been leaning on Heero's legs, he freed Heero as well and took away the gun pointed at the boats.

Heero shot from the canoe and hit Alex with a tackle so hard the man twice Heero's size flew to the ground, his hand still holding Duo's hair and taking his with him, sending Duo sprawling onto the beach on his broken arm. Heero straddled Alex's barn-sized chest and began to pound his fist into his face with such deadly concentration that he didn't even notice until Muller wrenched him off Alex by his collar that he himself had even moved.

Everyone, though, had been distracted, and Nichol was reeling from a boot to the face as Trowa vaulted out of the canoe with the acrobatics he had shown off at the talent night. They weren't for show after all. Trowa took no quarter and flew to Nichol's fallen form like lightning, nailing him as hard and fast as he could in the side with kicks that sent the older man's body off the ground each time as if he was being send shocks from a defribulator.

Wufei was trying to get out of the canoe and help without hurting Treize when Quatre realized there was nothing stopping him from helping as well.

Quatre was untangling himself from the canoe (with much less grace than Trowa, certainly) when Alex recovered from Yuy's blows. Duo was gulping breath in agony, able to only roll off his broken arm, but thankful that Alex had let go of his braid. But when he was able to see Alex, he didn't have the breath to warn.

Alex swept down upon Quatre in an instant, gripping his Leefa at the shoulder blades and hauling him out of the tangle of gear. Quatre was slightly grateful for that, until he felt the almost frozen-cold barrel of a very big gun at his jaw. Alex took only a second to move over to Duo's writhing form and place his foot, clad in thick black army boots, over Duo's chest, pushing until his screamed.

Both Heero and Trowa looked up from their victims and froze. Wufei had just managed to get out from the canoe when he was forced to freeze as well.

Alex grinned, giving Quatre a good shake that rattled his teeth. Nichol was the first to take advantage of the new situation, and after grasping a good breath or two, he stood. Looking Trowa straight tin the eye, he smirked and sent his fist pummeling straight into his gut, knowing the ranger couldn't fight back. Trowa bent double, and Nichol took another cheep shot, kicking his knees out from underneath him sending Trowa eating sand. Nichol took no quarter either, and began to boot Trowa in the middle as hard as he could, giddily waiting for a moan of pain or scream. Trowa had passed out before he got a scream the first time Nichol took him and the bat he had caught, and Nichol couldn't help the pulse of sick pleasure at the thought of getting another chance to pummel the ranger.

Muller took a few more minutes to process the change and notice that Psycho-Jap wasn't hitting him anymore. Muller saw Nichol take the Ranger down and nailed Yuy with a gut punch that sent the Jap to the ground.

Duo screamed from the ground, yelling Heero's name and curses all around. Flailing on the ground, he tried to hit Alex and claw at his leg, but all it got him was a harder push to his rib cage. Quatre was waiting for the snap.

Quatre, tears running down his face looked around, his head unimpeded by Alex's hold on his shirt between his shoulder blades. Wufei had taken up stance in front of the canoes, his lover inside and the bat moved to the one canoe as well. With dawning realization Quatre knew Wufei was getting ready to take off to the lodge with the most important things, and that he should've gone, except that he couldn't leave his friends.

Quatre turned to see Nichol sink his boot into Trowa's side again, and again, and Trowa simply took it, unable to retaliate. It was all Quatre's fault, he let himself get taken by Alex, of all of them, and he couldn't even help! Baling his hands into fists, Quatre resisted the urge to punch someone, he couldn't-

His hands weren't at all stopped. His legs hung limply and the gun at his jaw, the only thing really stopping him, had slackened as Alex watched his friends beat the others and was grinding his heel into Duo. But he knew, all Alex needed was to twitch his finger, and Quatre would have no head!

Trowa let out a gasp of pain, almost a scream, as Nichol kicked him again, sending his curled body rolling with the sheer force.

All thoughts of self flew out the window, with one sharp move, Quatre swung his hands up and grabbed the barrel, moving it up and over his head and took a swinging kick into Alex's exposed gut. The brute never even saw it coming. Alex let go of Quatre's leefa in shock and sent the blonde to the ground, still clutching the gun in his hand. Quatre wrenched the gun from his hand, throwing it towards the canoes, where he knew Wufei would grab it, and then, following the violence all around him, send his hardest kick into Alex's side.

Quatre turned and hauled Duo off the ground, moving him towards the canoes, where Wufei, gun in hand as expected, took him and set him beside Treize, moving to hand off guard duty to Quatre.

"Tro, they're safe!" Heero bellowed from the sand, where he was dodging Muller's poorly aimed hits with taunting ease. Without his boyfriend in danger, Heero's eyes shimmered flames. He got a solid footing and spun, aiming a roundhouse straight to the back of Muller's knees, sending the lump of flesh to the ground with a sick smack. Heero decided to make it count, and gave one more kick to the side of Muller's head, effectively knocking the few brains cells Mulller possessed and sending him into unconsciousness.

But Trowa wasn't getting up.

Heero flew towards Nichol, trying to tackle him off his friend. But Nichol was smarter than that and dodged, watching as Heero instead over compensated and found himself doing a spin in the sand in order face Nichol.

Quatre was over by Wufei, setting Duo down, but when Wufei handed him the gun, instead of taking it, Quatre propped it up so the trigger lay in the finger of Duo's good hand, and he could aim the riffle at anyone who came near. One nod, and Quatre dipped into the canoe and came out bearing Treize's paddle; the biggest and heaviest of all their paddles. Holding it handle up, so he could use it like a baseball bat, Quatre moved away form the canoes and towards the melee, Wufei already jumping into battle and backing Heero up.

Quatre did a mental count; one, Nichol vs. Heero; two, Wufei; and three, Trowa who was starting to move on his own; four, Muller eating sand from Heero's kick. Alex- Quatre didn't delude himself to think he had knocked him out, and even if he had, Alex wouldn't have disappeared. Alex was unaccounted for.

"You-- I know you! You work for Lex, at Libra inc. The mining company." Quatre froze, remembering the name, and knowing the voice. Libra Inc. When Duo had said a strip mining company was set to buy the land, and when they saw the devastation that had --illegally-- began, Quatre had thought he remembered the name. Winner Corp. had contacts in Libra Inc; they bought their petroleum from Libra corp. But what had Quatre frozen was the familiarity of the voice.

He had forgotten the tour group had to be around there somewhere, if Milly was. Quatre found himself staring at the cluster of huddled people, all stuck as close together as they could against a rock the size of a house, and cut off from escape by a tarnished red jeep parked kiddy-corner and closing the brush off to their availability. There was Jane, and Jerry -the asshole-, Mr. Chang was not only sitting there, but tied up and gagged as well. But the voice had been his father, who now stood up, starring at Alex with squinted eyes, and then nodding, positive.

"Defiantly, I didn't recognize you with all the bruises. I'm sure we can make a deal..." Omar began.

"Shit," Nichol said from the other side of the beach, dodging Heero and Wufei. He wasn't down yet because Heero and Wufei were weary of moving too far away from Trowa, who had just barely managed to kneel, leaning on arms that trembled beneath him.

"Now they all know us. Kill them all." Nichol ordered. Heero and Wufei took that as their cue to tackle Nichol in one last ditch effort, and their combined efforts sent him down.

But Alex had retrieved a riffle from the jeep. He cocked it, and aimed at Omar, choosing the loudest first.

Quatre ran and sprang up beside Alex. Grabbing the gun from the surprised man, Quatre pushed the barrel towards the sky harmlessly, and got right within Alex's striking distance. Quatre dug his heels into the ground and fought to keep the gun high.

"He may be an Asshole, but he's still. My. DAD!"

And with that, Quatre let go of the riffle with one arm and pistoned his fist into Alex's gut, feeling the solid muscle beneath Alex's shirt buckle and shift around the fist. With a watery gasp, Alex grunted. Quatre kept his fist embedded into the other man's stomach, and Alex's eyes began to roll, unable to get breath.

The brute buckled, and Quatre went with him, unable to keep himself steady with the goliath falling, but he refused to remove his fist, only adding pressure as he landed, Alex completely unconscious.

The resounding chopping sound of propellers filled the air around the clearing, then, a voice boomed down from a loudspeaker, "This is the Forest Rangers. Put your hands up!" it bellowed, a machine gun pointing from the opened side panel down at the group. Everyone who could obliged, and the Helicopter Milly had called, hovered over the water as a group of men in black Military looking uniforms swung out from inside and swarmed the beach.

Right behind it buzzed a red helicopter, a white square with a blessed red medical cross shining from the side.

* * *

Quatre watched the clouds pass across the crystal blue sky in a happy daze, laying on his back, face to the sky. The breeze brought the scents of pine, and cedar, and oak to him, and he delighted in being able to actually recognize what he was smelling. But a change in the wind brought a whole new riot of smells, of barbeque sauce, and hamburgers, and the scent of campfire spicing the air.

"CAT!" Duo called happily, "Stop staring at the sky and come and eat some of this delicious FREE FOOD!" Of course, that was the important part for Duo. The Wilderness Tours company had tried to give their distraught tourists the best in hopes of less law suits. The first thing they did upon getting the hostages back into their care was set them up for the best trauma therapy, then hosted a barbeque outside of the lodge, since most of the group was stuck there until their trip was officially over. Because of everything, they had been on the river two days less than the trip was supposed to and therefore they were all two days early for flights and rides. While some of the vacationers refused to leave their bunk houses, hiding under blankets rocking themselves, most had caught the victorious spirit of the guides. Everyone at the lodge had known about the Bat and when the group returned, a cage in hand and a very alive, very real Virginia Big-Eared bat was found inside, balloons, streamers and cake found itself littering the picnic as classic rock blared out of the Lodge PA system to the entire forest.

Quatre felt something be put on his exposed midriff (he wore one of Wufei's shirts, as the Manly-sized Black T-shirts had somehow been cut into strips and found their way up the river without paddles) and saw Trowa holding his own plate in one hand and supporting the one now sitting on Quatre's tummy with his other. Quatre bent, trying to get a look at the contents of the plate without spilling it and found he was unable to do so. Chuckling, Trowa lifted it until Quatre got in a seated position and then placed it on his lap.

Ravenously, Quatre attacked the hamburger, not realizing how hungry he had been until it was in sight as Trowa tousled the dirt out of his hair. "You're a mess." He finally declared, giving up since the more he tried to remove the dirt clusters the more they broke into smaller bits and held onto the downy blonde hair.

"Quatre, look at you!" Omar's voice came from behind him. Quatre startled so bad he almost dropped the chips on his plate all over himself. This was the first time Quatre had spoken to him since the beach, Quatre finding himself 'lost' and having to share a bunk house with Trowa, Heero, Duo, the wounded Treize and another 'lost' vacationer, Wufei, which had been last night.

"Omar! Come and get your Burgers!" Jane called from beside the grill, sending Quatre's father's small spectrum of attention haywire for a moment. He decided upon the burgers and began towards the fire, Jane giving an exaggerated wink Quatre's way.

Trowa grinned and hauled Quatre to his feet the moment the burger was inhaled, grabbing the plate and dangling it playfully out of Quatre's reach. Trowa started to run, the plate jiggling behind him until he stood behind Treize's wheelchair, Wufei scowling that Trowa was horsing around near a wounded man, while Treize himself laughed. Duo's also ground-bound body slumped on a fallen log, beside Treize, content to let Heero feed him bits of chips because of his Oh-So-painful state with his one arm totally out of commission for at least a month, Doctor's orders, while his other arm seemed perfectly capable of snagging Quatre's plate from Trowa and placing it on the ground within the circle of them.

Quatre happily obliged, sitting himself with them feeling not at all the stranger.

Milly sauntered over, patted Treize's head in a falsely pitying way, and snagged a chip from the plate on Treize's lap. "Who's going swimming?" Milly asked, as dignified as could be with a mouthful of stolen chips.

"Die, Milliardo." Treize sneered, knowing full well there was no way he could even get near the water as 'weak' as he was. Treize was still calling that doctor that confined him to a wheelchair for the week a blind crackpot because, of course, loosing almost all the blood in one's body would most certainly not qualified him as less than up-to snuff.

Trowa stood and pulled his shirt, a very fitting white T turned tank that proclaimed he had climbed K-2, over his head and let it drop to the ground, followed by his snap-off track pants that left him looking delicious in nothing but navy-blue swimming trunks, the rest of him a rippling muscle perfectly honed, gleaming in the sunlight, like a-

Quatre pulled his thoughts off course before he would be unable to stand.

Trowa moved towards a trail going down the fifteen foot outcropping that overlooked the river which moved peacefully and gently by, there harbored from the eddies.

"Pansy!" Duo shouted as Trowa took to the trail, "Am I and only one with guts enough to jump it. The water is like, so friggan deep you'll never hit bottom. All've you are Pansies!" Duo continued as Heero stripped and moved towards the trail, followed by Milly. Duo pouted and stood as well, waving a good bye to Wufei and his chair-bound lover, knowing he too was not allowed in the water, but at least he could make the walk and sit on the shore and watch enviously from the trail.

"You're ALL Pansy-ass fags!" Jerry sneered from beside the barbeque, low enough that only those immediately surrounding him heard, which, thankfully for him, was not anyone who was friendly with any of the Rangers or Winner and Chang. Except Omar.

"My son really does need to toughen up," Omar said to a woman sitting beside him who was trying her hardest to ignore him, "I thought a vacation out here would change that." He sighed and found himself sneering at his son's exposed lower back, and the bright white T-shirt that shone almost sunshine yellow in certain light that his boy was wearing.

Quatre, oblivious to the discussions about him going on, smirked at Duo and walked to the very edge of the overhang, looking down to see Trowa and Heero already in the water, with Milly just sliding in from the side. He took a look at the water, judged Duo hadn't been lying, and hollered down, "last time I jumped, you promised to catch me!"

Trowa, surprised to hear Quatre's teasing voice looked up. He couldn't be serious? Quatre had been so panicked about even climbing... But there he was, leaning over the edge to talk to them. He was serious.

"Last time you also got a kiss!" Trowa hollered back up, watching gleefully and Quatre shucked off his borrowed shirt and slid off the loose-fitting jeans he wore to show his baby-blue swimming trunks.

Stepping back into the grass, incidentally catching the attention of more than a few of the tour group, Quatre took a running start. Hitting the edge, he jumped, opening his arms and letting himself go, free of all his worried and confident that Trowa be there at the bottom.

He poised his arms for contact just in time for the water to meet him. The freezing cold river water doused him and shocked his system to screams as he bobbed back up to the surface, Trowa right by his side, grabbing onto his arm to make sure he didn't go back under, laughing as Quatre sputtered and coughed the river water out of his unprepared lungs.

Once he was stable, Trowa drew him in, wrapping his still-warm arms around Quatre and dunking the two of them under water, plundering each other's lips until they began to tread water together, breaking the surface for much needed breath.

Trowa let him go, smirking like the devil himself. "I take it you aren't afraid of heights any longer?" he taunted.

Quatre smiled brighter than Trowa had ever seen, "Afraid? Hell no, I think you guys created a monster. It's just- Absolutely like- WOW- What a..."

"Rush?" Trowa supplied, and Quatre nodded so enthusiastically, he just about dunked himself again.

"That's what I feel with climbing, Heero with rafting, Duo with his cave trekking, all of us have out favorites. Do I suspect you've found yours?"

"Heero!" Duo called, closer to the group than Quatre had realized, "I think we have ourselves a base-jumping addict!"

Everyone split into peels of laughter, save Quatre who looked around curiously.

"What's that?"

**END

* * *

**

**Author's notes**

This is it, the end. I had visions of a sequel but abolished them. This fic is a story of a boy finding his inner strength and he has. There is always more to a tale, but it's not necessary to write. There are too many other tales waiting to be told to dally over a completed one.

**Special notes about the fic**: I had a few people ask about the "Leefa". I kinda made that word up a bit.

The shirt is made by many sports manufacturers, it's a fabric that takes the sweat off your body into the layers of the shirt to keep you warm. The best of them is by the company Lifa ™ . Kind of like Kleenex refers to all sorts of tissue, Lifa seems to be the same for these clothes, at least where my experience lies. I didn't want to use the company name with the ™ all the time throughout the story, so I devised a way to say what I meant without the actual term. So I gave birth to "Leefa", which is what the word sounds like spoken. I was quite enthused to find someone actual tell me they went looking to find out what a leefa was and found out it was a brand. I was quite blown away that someone had actually taken the time. I researched this story for longer than you know.

I was told by a reviewer that Wilderness was at a YEAR OLD a little while ago. I laughed. It's a lot older than that. I had started writing Wilderness under my last author's name Die Spitze in April 2004. I'd began writing it almost a year before that too. But it is now finished, and I'm gonna miss getting E-mail reviews from people. Tear. I guess I'll just have to get my ass in gear on my newest fic, GW-X or maybe do another little one-shot to keep me going. Who knows, My muse isn't too reliable for really good ideas, and when it does have one I never seem to find the time to type it out. I'm a horrendously slow typer after all.

Please leave a review. Even if you never reviewed before and have nothing really to say, just an 'I was here' makes me feel loved. It really is my reviewers that keep me posting. I write for me, but I don't usually share without a lot of cajoling. And my main source of cajoling has moved to British Columbia. (Thanks Abby, really. Thanks. Leave me here alone. I don't care if you finish 'Here, Queer, Used to it' anyway. Hmp.)

I hoped you enjoyed wilderness and I hope you respect that it never went to a lemon. What kind of 'finding respect yourself' story could I do if Quat was rolling on the hey with forest ranger Trowa within days of meeting him? Really now? I've nothing against smut, but this story didn't call for it.

Love you all!

Dentellenoir


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